


my forest is dark, my trees are sad and all the butterflies have broken wings

by caffeineaddicted_malec



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angel Wings, Angst and Feels, Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Dark Magnus Bane, Getting Back Together, Good Parabatai Jace Wayland, Heavy Angst, High Warlock of Brooklyn Magnus Bane, Idiots in Love, Lorenzo Rey and Underhill are canon!, M/M, Post-Break Up, Post-Episode: s03e19 Aku Cinta Kamu, Resurrection, Slow Burn, Temporary Character Death, Time Skips, canon-divergent plot, slightly OOC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-01-31 17:27:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 116,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18596020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caffeineaddicted_malec/pseuds/caffeineaddicted_malec
Summary: Two years later, on the same Halloween night that Alec Lightwood broke up with him, the warlock returns to New York. After reclaiming his position as the High Warlock of Brooklyn by subduing Lorenzo Rey, Magnus Bane comes face to face with his forgotten lover. With a searing darkness straight from the depth of Edom to resentment for all-things-Shadowhunters, he's determined to avenge his lost humanity and time. Needless to say, whoever and whatever comes in his way will suffer the wrath of the re-elected High Warlock.or[A canon-divergent plot starting off after 3x19 feat dark!Magnus Bane]Title Credit: Raine Cooper





	1. Chapter 1

 

**[Halloween, 2021]**

“Ops Center. Now”, Alec growled in his office. Jace and Clary looked between each other and hesitantly followed their boss as he stormed through the corridors of the Institute towards the main hall. They knew better than to piss _him_ off. Not only he was the head of the freaking institute, but he was Alexander Gideon Lightwood – the ruthless Nephilim and archer who looked nowhere beyond his work.

Not anymore at least.

Alec gathered his Shadowhunters in the Ops center and took his position. Clary and Jace gulped, taking their positions by the intricately carved pillars of the church that they called their Institute. It was a safe place – away from Alec’s direct line of vision. They had done something really stupid. Not against their nature, but again... _incredibly stupid._ “How the hell do a bunch of Shadowhunters manager to summon a demon from Edom... again?”, the head growled. Jace and Clary dropped their gaze to the floor. They knew he was referring to them. They had tried to summon Lilith _earlier this morning_. In the span of two years, they had banished her twice and summoned her the same number of times as well. And for reasons unfathomable to Alec.

“Haven’t we got _enough_ problems originating from that dreadful place already?”, Jace could see Alec gritting his teeth – trying to control his anger. In the past years, he had progressively gotten worse with it though. Ever since... Jace shook his thoughts away. No one ever spoke of that. Of them.

Of him.

“I am _done_ explaining Consul Penhallow why MY Shadowhunters happen to be the only ones breaking the walls of hell, letting Lilith out. But it’s enough. This _is_ the last time something like this is happening on my watch. Jonathan Christopher Herondale, Clarissa Adele Fray and Isabelle Sophia Lightwood – you are hereby transferred from the first line of duty. No missions for you until I deem fit.”

There was a loud gasp from the crowd of Nephilims. The Shadowhunters just punished by their Head had been his family members – his siblings and his almost-sister. And if they were not safe from Alec’s wrath, no one could be. The three Shadowhunters nodded, without looking up. “Underhill, I need you in my office now”, Alec tilted his head, gesturing the named Shadowhunter to his office. “Dismissed, everybody”, he flicked his hand in air. Underhill, New York Institute’s chief of security hopped on to the stairs and followed his boss to his office.

“Come in”, Alec beckoned the man in with his fingers.

“Sir!”, Underhill folded his hands behind his back and tipped his chin.

“I am assigning you the responsibility of Clary. I need you to supervise her... give her duties to finish. She is yours to govern. Put her in the security with you...”, he ordered. The other Nephilim nodded, stepping out of the office. Lilith was walking freely in New York City right now and he had half of his entire force on her look-out. The other half was on duty for patrolling the streets. It was Halloween – the one night demons liked to celebrate just as much as the mundanes did.

Halloween.

Two years since...

Alec cleared his throat and fired up his computer. The case-file titled “M.B” was right on his desktop. He clicked it open and saw the status report – _missing._

Last updated – 32 seconds ago.

That status hadn’t changed in two fucking years. Alec placed his fingertips on the photograph on the left side of the screen. The cold LED of the laptop brought him back to reality. This wasn’t him. He could never feel his face again like this even if he wanted to. He could never touch Magnus again.

His Magnus.

Who wasn’t his, anymore.

Magnus Bane had disappeared from the face of this earth a day after Alec broke up with him. Alec had scoured the _ends_ of this earth for his ex-boyfriend and even portaled to Edom to look for the man, but all had been for vain. No one had seen or heard of Magnus. He blamed himself, for every day of his miserable life since, for everything that could have possibly happened to Magnus. Alec didn’t know if Magnus ever got his magic back from his father... or if he is even alive. Though Madzie told him that she could still feel Magnus’ life force. That was the one time when he was allowed to see her after Cat came to know how Alec Lightwood had broken her best friend’s heart.

He had tried to seek her help in tracking Magnus down, but she had refused to share anything she found out about her friend. And for good reason. He hadn’t been entirely honest about the truth of his deal with Magnus’ father and so naturally, Catarina hated him with everything she had.

“Alec, may I come in?”, Alec snapped his eyes up at the door. It was Aline Penhallow – a very close friend from Alicante.

“Come in, Aline”, Alec cleared his throat, slapping his laptop shut.

“I came in to drop this status report. There’s been _no_ updates on Magnus Bane in the last month.”, she sighed, shaking her head. Aline had been running an off-the-books mission for Alec – using her access to the City of Glass. She was using the Clave’s technology to track changes in the ley lines to detect Magnus’ magic across the planet – observing any unusual activity per month. “Radio silence”, she shrugged, handing over the file to the man.

“Thank you very much, Aline”, Alec nodded. He took a deep breath and opened the file. “I apologize for the trouble I put you through every month. Its Halloween. You shouldn’t be working tonight...”, he muttered, going through the reports.

“ _You_ are working too?”, Aline deadpanned, pulling a chair out for herself.

“The Institute won’t run itself”, Alec swallowed.

“Fair enough”, Aline shrugged.

“How is Helen?”, he asked, not bothering to lift his gaze up.

“She’s doing fine.”, Aline smiled. Or Alec assumed she did. He would have too, if he were talking about the love of _his_ life. Magnus. Alec’s heart sank, and he shoved the thoughts away. It had been two years too long to be brooding over the love of his life. But Magnus had been _it_ for the Nephilim and never again he could have anything even remotely as good as what he had with Magnus.

“I am glad”, he answered.

“We’re all going out for drinks tonight. Do you want to join us?”, Aline asked.

“We?”, Alec looked up from the reports.

“Your siblings, Clary, Helen and I?”, Aline shrugged.

“Oh.”, Alec nodded. “I am going to pass. There’s a lot of paperwork to be finished here... and there’s a delegation from Clave due to visit next week and I haven’t done shit about that...”, he added, pointing his index finger at the stack of files on his right.

“Okay”, Aline mumbled.

“That will be all then?”, he took a deep breath, closing the status report and pushing it aside. Aline scanned his face – his sunken and tired eyes with dark circles below them and his lips peering out of a thick stubble. Until two years ago, Aline had never seen Alec with a beard and now, there had been no day where she’d seen without one. He had stopped caring about living. She stood up and so did Alec. They were not just colleagues but also close friends. Aline was possibly the only person Alec now spoke to. He had closed himself off to his siblings, his parents and his friends. Everyone. Aline walked around the table and held out her arms. Alec gave her a short hug and hummed as they parted.

“I will see you tomorrow morning?”, she asked.

“Yeah. 5am?”, he mumbled.

“Open-air?”, she arched a brow.

“You got it”, Alec tipped his head. Aline walked out of his office and Alec settled back on his desk. He leaned back on his chair and crossed his right leg over his thigh. Placing his file on his lap – he pulled out a pen from the stand and started reading. His computer screen flared up with an alert. “Meeting with the High Warlock of Brooklyn – T-2 hours”, it said. Alec lifted up his wrist. It was 10:30pm in the night and the High Warlock of Brooklyn wanted to meet him right after midnight?

Pressing a confirmation on his screen, he returned to his reading.

“I saw Aline leave your office.”, he heard his sister’s voice at the door. “Is everything alright? Did she find something about where Magnus is?”, Izzy fired a series of questions at her brother. Rolling his eyes at the number of times he had been disturbed in the last 5 minutes, he looked up from his file. Again.

“Come in?”, Alec straightened himself, gesturing his sister to take a seat.

Izzy clenched her jaw noticing how strangely Alec was behaving like. But it wasn’t so strange after all. If she didn’t have first-hand information of what Alec had been through in the last two years, she wouldn’t believe that it was the same Alec Lightwood who would tell his sister every little thing about his life. “Aline?”, she asked again knowing very well that Alec would never say anything to her anymore. She had lost that power over him so many nights ago.

“She did”, he answered.

“Was she here to discuss Magnus’ whereabouts?”, she asked, leaning her elbows on the glass top of the table.

“That information is above your paygrade”, Alec deadpanned.

“Alec”, she sighed.

“I can’t tell you, Isabelle. It is confidential.”, he said as a matter-of-factly. She nervously shuffled in her seat, finding it hard to continue talking. How had they come to this? How had it become so difficult for her to talk to her own brother. Her Alec. “Is there something you want to talk about?”, he asked. “Because I have a lot of work that I would like to finish before calling it a day...”

“I... I wanted to apologize?”, she blurted out.

“For?”, Alec arched a brow.

“For...”, she stuttered. “We shouldn’t have summoned Lilith behind your back. It was against the rules... and also against the fact that as a family, we don’t hide things from each other...”, she gulped, scanning his face for anger.

“You shouldn’t have summoned Lilith. Period.”, Alec deadpanned – his lips pressed flat together. “...and you should have told me if _when_ you were planning this idiocy”, he grumbled.

“Alec, would you have let us?”, Izzy tilted her head.

“No... which is _precisely_ why I should have known.”, Alec snapped.

“I am sorry, but we thought that it was the best idea to-”, she gulped.

“...to put your brother in a position where he has to defend his family _again._ Where he has to explain why _his_ institute is the only one doing ridiculous things... over and over _again._ Why my Shadowhunters don’t listen to my orders...”, Alec almost yelled, making Izzy gasp in her chair and jerk back slightly. “...it’s only a testament to how incompetent I am”, he gritted his teeth.

Izzy’s heart sank. “That’s not true, Alec. You’re one of the best leaders I have ever...”, she swallowed her tears.

“...and yet the number of felonies people commit under my regime are far higher than any of my predecessors...”, he arched a brow.

“I am so sorry...”, she closed her eyes and dropped her gaze.

“You should be”, Alec rolled his eyes. “Is that all?”, he deadpanned.

“Why don’t you talk to me anymore?”, Izzy flicked the tears away from her eyes and sniffled. She couldn’t take his cold attitude for one more second.

“Excuse me?”, Alec furrowed his brows.

Isabelle stood up from her chair and walked over to the space next to Alec. The Shadowhunter turned his chair to face his sister who dropped in a squat in front of him with bloodshot eyes. “Why don’t you come to me? Tell me how you feel. It has been two years and I-I have lost you Alec. I have lost my big brother.”, she mumbled, clasping Alec’s big palms in her tiny ones.

“Isabelle?”.  Alec whispered, swallowing the lump in his throat.

“I have had enough...”, she shook her head. “I need my brother back, please”, she shook their hands, urging her brother.

“I am here”, Alec sighed.

“You’re not. You know you’re not.”, she sobbed. “You’re far away from me... and I don’t know how to find you anymore”

“Isabelle”, he widened his eyes and grabbed her slumped shoulders. She wasn’t wrong. He had pulled himself away from her... and from Jace. Consciously. A part of him couldn’t stand to see her happy with Simon and Jace with Clary when he couldn’t have the same in his life. He stood up from his desk and pulled his sister up in a hug. There was a lot they needed to talk about and reconnect with each other but at that moment, he just wanted to give her a hug... and maybe just let it beknown to her that deep down, buried behind all his pain, he still loved her.

And he always would.

...

Madzie and Catarina walked into their apartment in the evening. There was a huge bag of candies and treats that they had collected earlier in the evening. Halloween was the one night they didn’t have to glamour themselves to the mundanes and both of them absolutely enjoyed it to their fullest. Catarina could show off her beautiful and flawless blue skin and Madzie’s gills could breathe in the air.

Their apartment was drowning in darkness when they walked inside. Madzie frowned because she hated dark spaces. With a soft flick of her hand, the little warlock lit it up with fairy lights all around.

“Did you have fun?”, Catarina chuckled as she saw Madzie rummage through the sack of treats.

“I did”, Madzie gleamed. She continued searching for her favorite sour candy strip when her senses alerted in the presence of strangely familiar magic. Catarina saw Madzie’s expression and she flared up her magic in her hands. “It’s...”, the little girl gasped. “Can you feel it...”, the little girl whispered.

“I do”, Cat sighed. Protectively enough, Cat cast a shield around them and waited as a shadow appeared on their balcony.

“Magnus”, Madzie gasped. The fairy lights cast a blue hue on the face of the familiar warlock as he stepped inside his best friend’s apartment. His eyes were glowing golden with the cat-slits and his magic... his magic was a deep shade of purple. Madzie frowned as the purple magic resented hers. It was not familiar to the girl. It wasn’t something she would associate with Magnus. It was dark.

It was negative.

It felt apocalyptic.

“You’re back?”, Cat shielded her daughter but stepped out of it herself.

“You don’t look happy to see me?”, the warlock chuckled. Catarina pursed her lips and then curved them into a smile.

“I am”, her eyes gleamed with moisture as she stepped forward to embrace her friend. “I am delighted... Magnus”, she commented as the warlock hugged her back. “Where were you?”

“Edom”, Magnus responded. “...with my father”, he added.

Catarina pulled back and squeezed his biceps. “With him... are you alright?”, she widened her eyes.

“Never been better, my dear”, Magnus gave her a smile. He looked different. He had a sharp undercut hairstyle now, with front-swept hair that covered half of his right-eye. The hair covering his forehead was colored a dark shade of red with white and golden undertones. She scanned his face. There was metallic bead on his left brow and his eyes were lined with a thick black liner and a dark ash-grey eyeshadow.

“Are you sure?”, she asked him.

“Positive”, Magnus replied, dryly.

“How are you back?”, she gasped. Knowing Asmodeus, she was sure that he would never let Magnus go... Magnus was his trump card – his most prized possession. “How did he let you go?”

“I simply told him that I am going back”, Magnus shrugged.

“...and he let you?”

“Are we gonna keep discussing my father, Cat? I have had enough of him in the last 10 days.”, Magnus flicked his head and stepped away from his friend. He took a few steps forward and knelt on the ground to greet little Madzie who hugged him with a huge grin on her face.

“No, I just... 10 days?”, Cat furrowed her brows. _Did he say ten days?_ “Where were you before Edom then...?”, she asked.

“I was here... in New York?”, Magnus was confused.

“Then why didn’t you contact me?”

“Cat... I met you... you helped me get better after Lorenzo’s magic rejected me... you were there. What is up with you?”, he frowned.

“That was... Magnus?”, Cat couldn’t understand. Those events... the ones Magnus had been describing had occurred two years ago. “Those happened... two years ago!”, she informed. Magnus paled as he turned to look at his best friend.

“Two years?”, he asked.

“Yeah... you were gone for two whole years...”

“But I only... Asmodeus only took me ten days ago... how did...”, he licked his lips and paused as realization dawned upon him. “Time passes differently in Edom”, he murmured. “I was gone for 10 days and two years passed away here”, he explained with a wave of his hand. Two years. “It doesn’t matter though... does it? I don’t think anyone noticed my absence”

“Yeah, right!”, Cat scoffed. “Anyway. You’re back now and that’s all that matters.”, she feigned a smile on her face. “Although... you might have to watch out. Lorenzo still hates you...”

“He’s no longer in a position to do anything about it...”, Magnus rolled his eyes, dusting his leather pants as he stood up from the floor.

“How do you mean?”, Cat widened her eyes.

“You’re looking at the re-elected High Warlock of Brooklyn”, Magnus spread his arms and smirked. His stance projecting power and glory that he was.

“He resigned?”, Cat gasped again.

“He didn’t have a choice”, Magnus shrugged. He looked over at his best friend who didn’t look happy. “Are you not excited that Lorenzo is gone?”, he arched a brow. Cat looked at back at him and shook her head.

“I am... he was a douche...”, she whispered. “But...”

“Pray tell, Catarina”, Magnus growled. The other warlock looked at him and saw his eyes change color to red – blood red and she had never seen Magnus like that before. So emotionless and dark. He looked so dark.

“It’s nothing. I am still processing the fact that you’re back...”, she lied. “It feels surreal” Magnus looked at her as he if he knew she was lying – and he would. He had known her for centuries, but he let it go.

“In a good way, I hope?”, he taunted.

“Obviously”, she shrugged. “Come on... Madzie and I were just going to summon some ice-cream. Join us”, she offered.

“Sure... but I have a meeting right now.”

“Meeting... so late in the night? With who?”, Cat opened a bottle of water and poured it in a glass.

“With the Head of the New York Institute”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the high warlock of brooklyn meets the head of the NY institute.
> 
> tw: panic attacks.

Magnus stepped into the Institute at 12:15am sharp. It was just like he remembered except for a few technological upgrades that he understood nothing about. He knew that the _ten supposed days_ in Edom had actually been exactly 730 days in this world and so, there were bound to be changes in everything that Magnus saw. There were unfamiliar faces around the Institute and some faces that looked older than in his memory. The place was relatively quiet at this hour in the night and expectedly so. The Shadowhunters were either out patrolling the streets or had gone to sleep. Either way, it was easier for Magnus to make his way into the corridors without prying eyes on him. He had far too much history here. A history he would have loved to forget at this point in his life.

“Magnus Bane?”, a voice gasped as soon as he made his way into the Ops center. The great hall where he had often seen a certain tall Shadowhunter give orders like it was his second nature. Magnus looked over and saw a familiar face standing in front of him. Underhill. So, he was still posted at the New York Institute. Stunning and convenient. _And he was still just as handsome._ The man looked startled on seeing the warlock.

“Underhill”, Magnus tipped his chin without any other expression on his face. He spun on his heels gracefully and glared straight into the eyes of the blonde-haired Nephilim. Why were these Shadowhunters so good-looking? The Shadowhunter swallowed, clenching a fist behind his back and stepping forward. He walked like Alec Lightwood... like a soldier would walk. Magnus shrugged away his thoughts and settled his gaze on the approaching Shadowhunter.

“It’s been a while?”, Underhill inquired, curling his fingers together in a fist. He pressed the Bluetooth button stuck to his ear and tilted his head. _Magnus Bane._ He muttered the name softly.

“Did you miss me?”, Magnus teased.

Underhill parted his lips to say something but fell silent the next second. He knew that things hadn’t been the same between his boss and Magnus Bane but not because Alec had told him about it. It’s just Magnus had stopped visiting his boyfriend and Alec had stopped leaving the premises of the Institute except for missions, at all. So, all the Shadowhunters had assumed that something had gone wrong between the two of them, but they knew better than to question the Lightwoods about this. It would be easier to cross the Atlantic on foot than questioning any of the three Lightwood children. “That’s not... I just... I meant we haven’t seen you around here in... in _years_? What brings you by?”, he frowned realizing how long it had been.

“I was away”, Magnus smirked. “As much as I would love to talk about my _private_ life with you... I have a meeting now. With your Head. As the re-elected High Warlock of Brooklyn.”, he informed, lifting his chin. “Should I proceed to his office down that corridor or there’s somewhere else he’d like to meet with me?”

“Uh”, Underhill was stumped. “Give me a second?”, he pressed his fingers to his Bluetooth and whispered again. _“Underhill here, sir. Do you copy?”,_ he muttered and waited. Magnus took a deep breath and folded his hands together – waiting intently. _“Sir, the High Warlock of Brooklyn is here for the meeting. Should I escort him to your office... or?”_ he asked. Magnus lowkey wanted to hear the voice on the other side. There was a fire inside him that wanted that. _“Sure... conference hall? Copy that”_ , he whispered and turned his attention to the warlock.

“Allow me to escort you, Mr Bane.”, Underhill smiled. They turned down the opposite side of the corridors and Magnus knew they were heading into the conference hall where he had attended so many Downworld Cabinet meetings a couple of seasons ago. Along the way, they passed by the training area where Clary Fray was training with Isabelle Lightwood. Magnus’ heart skipped a beat as he registered those familiar and once-he-cared-for faces. Clary looked older and so did Isabelle and deep down, he had missed them around. Underhill swiftly escorted Magnus into the conference hall which had two couches in the middle of the room and a coffee table in the center. “Sir would be here with you in two minutes. He asked me to make you comfortable. Would you like something? Tea... or coffee?”, Underhill asked.

“I am fine. Thank you, Underhill.”, Magnus gave him a soft smile and walked over to the couch.

“Okay then. I will take your leave. It was nice meeting you again, Mr Bane”, Underhill offered his hand. Magnus glared between Underhill’s face and hands and turned around, ignoring him completely. He wasn’t going to start building amicable relationships now. Not again. Receding footsteps informed Magnus about Underhill’s exit and he relaxed a little. Being back at the Institute had been harder than he had imagined. His anger – his darkness was making him unstable. He had no idea how much he could endure before his magic levelled this place.

“Mr Rey, I am sure there’s a good explanation of wanting to meet with me in the middle of the night. What can my Institute do for you on the All Hallows Eve?”, Alec’s voice sounded from the main door and Magnus could feel what it did to his heart. _Still_ did to his cold and dark heart after so many days... _years_ of being apart. It’s like he hadn’t forgotten the beauty of that voice after all. The voice itself, however, was harsher and slightly older than he remembered though – and sadder. Alec’s boots stopped clanking mid-way against the floorboards as he recognized the frame as not being Lorenzo’s. “You’re not, Mr Rey?”, Alec noticed.

“I am not...”, Magnus twirled around on his heels and feigned a smirk on his face. The color on Alec’s face paled as he looked into Magnus’ eyes and the warlock clenched his jaw. 10 days in Edom with all it’s darkness and _his_ father would have made him immune to a Shadowhunter and yet the moment his eyes met Alec, he could feel the pain and heartbreak like it was happening to him all over again. The power Alec Lightwood still held over him was insane. Alec took a small step back and raised his palm as if this was a huge façade by a shape-shifting demon. He couldn’t believe his eyes. It was Magnus. It was really Magnus. After two fucking years. The tall Shadowhunter scanned the warlock. Head to toe. The new hairstyle – that fringe covering his right eye and those darkly lined eyes. And those sparks of _purple(?)_ magic flowing across his caramel skin.

“Magnus”, he whispered out in choky bouts of breath.

“The one and only”, Magnus’ pupils flickered as he looked into the eyes of his forgotten lover. Alec Lightwood looked so different than Magnus’ memories allowed him to be. His beautiful hazel eyes were sleep-deprived and tired with sunken eyeballs and dark circles around them. His ever-attentive Shadowhunter had a messy stubble which covered most of his neck hiding his beautiful deflect rune. The last time he had seen the boy... there was a youthful innocence to him... one of the many things that Magnus had fallen for and now there was just a maturity coupled with sadness.

“Where were you...?”, Alec yelled in a tone that suggested that he was complaining. “I searched for you everywhere...”, he stepped forward, hoping to embrace the warlock and then stopped. Nope. They couldn’t hug each other. Not anymore. The Shadowhunter swallowed and stepped back again.

“Mr Lightwood!”, Magnus gracefully dropped himself on the couch and gestured Alec to settle on the couch in front of him. “Careful”, the warlock commented. “It almost looked like you cared about me…”, he shot an angry and love-less glare at the Head of the New York Institute. Alec pulled himself together and obeyed, sitting down on the couch. _He wanted to admit that Magnus' cold attitude was burning scars on his skin._ He placed his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. Every posture depicting how much he wanted to come close to his ex-boyfriend.

“Where were you? It has been _two years... two fucking years_ ”, Alec asked again, his voice breaking towards the end of his sentence. His lips trembling and his eyes fighting back the tears.

“I was away. Personal issues”, Magnus shrugged, leaning back on the backrest and placing his arm on the side of the couch. His magic inside him was registering Alec’s familiar presence and trying to fight this dark part of the High warlock of Brooklyn. “But now I am back!”, he smirked.

“I thought I was supposed to meet with Lorenzo Rey”, Alec sniffled, pulling himself together.

“He’s not the High Warlock anymore...”, Magnus informed with eyes as dead as he could have possibly made them to be. “I am...”, he added. Alec’s eyes widened at the information and he closed his eyes, nodding. Rubbing his palm over his face, he took a deep breath and licked his lips.

“How are you?”, he asked.

“Very well”, Magnus deadpanned. “But I am not here to talk about my well-being, Mr Lightwood”, he remarked. Alec’s heart sank at how Magnus refused to use his first name, let alone _Alexander._

“Right. How may I be of help?”, Alec pursed his lips, swallowing his heartbreak.

“I am not here to ask for help either. I am here to inform the Head of the local Institute that I am now in-charge of the warlocks in New York...”, he added rather harshly. “...and should there be any mutual needs to be fulfilled, you know which door to knock.”, he rolled his eyes.

“Of course. I will have Daisy update the contact list”, Alec took a deep breath.

“I do have a request though”, Magnus stood up, abruptly, making Alec spring up from his position as well.

“Anything”, the Nephilim gulped.

“I won’t tolerate you Nephilims using my warlocks to do your dirty work anymore. I have had enough people owe me favors and no more”, Magnus shot a glance at Alec and the man saw Magnus’ eyes change color from his deep brown ones to a darker blood red storm with a fire burning inside them. “...you come to me for help and if I deem it fit for the warlocks to handle... only _then_ will my people offer help to yours”, he muttered. “Are we clear?”, he asked.

“Yes”, Alec breathed out.

“Well, that sums up everything I have wanted to discuss...”, Magnus stood up abruptly, adjusting his tight-fit shirt. There were numerous new and chunky rings on his black-painted fingers and a claw ring on his right thumb and index. Alec swallowed hard as he gave way for Magnus to leave his office.

“I will see you at the next Cabinet meeting, Mr Lightwood”, Magnus waved his right hand and looked over his shoulder without meeting his ex-boyfriend’s gaze.  The doors of the office slammed magically shut behind him, leaving Alec utterly devastated in the conference hall. He dropped on the couch and held his head in his palms. The world was starting to spin around him.

His breathing was erratic, and he could hear his heart ready to thump out of his chest. There was a ringing sensation in his ears and a deafening silence around him that made it all of it worse. His eyes were slammed shut and the whistles just wouldn’t stop ringing in his ears. He knew if he opened his eyes he wouldn’t be able to focus on anything right now. His head was buzzing with different sounds and vibrations and he just wanted all of it to stop. Holding his forehead with his palms, he gritted his teeth. _Stop._ He muttered under his breath, urging his body to stop reacting the way it did.

_Stop._

He gritted again.

_Magnus hates me._

_I did this to him._

_He will never forgive me._

_He didn’t deserve the heartache._

_This is all my fault._

_I did this._

_It was me._

_Magnus is in this mess because of me._

His thoughts reeled to the one person he was desperately trying to keep out of his mind. His lost love. His forgotten lover. A man who hated him with every ounce of himself. A love that he had lost for the benefit of the same man.

_Alec..._

There was a voice in his head and it wasn’t his own.

_Alec... listen to me._

He heard it again.

_Stop._

He yelled.

_Stop it._

He yelled again.

_ALEC!_

There was another loud sound and then a force that pulled his hands away from his ears, making him open his eyes. The world was spinning around him – just like he had expected, and he struggled to pull his hands away from that strange grasp that was holding them away from his ears – letting that sound deafen him.

_Alec... listen to me._

The voice called out to him again. Alec swallowed and took a deep breath, trying to locate the source of the voice. There was an image of a man in front of him. A blonde man. A figure he recognized.

“Jace”, he whispered, choking out of his breath.

“I am here… I am here with you Alec”, Jace pulled him into his arms and pressed his palm on the back of Alec’s hair, rubbing it up and down. “Breath... Alec. Breathe”, he heard his brother say.

“Jace”, he whispered again.

“Breathe. I am here, brother”, Jace held on to him. Alec collapsed his weight in his brother’s arms. “You are going to be fine”, he added.

“Magnus”, Alec choked out.

“I know, Alec. I know”, Jace shushed him. “Breathe now...”, he added. Alec closed his eyes, curling his fingers around the back of Jace’s t-shirt. He buried his nose in his brother’s neck and closed his eyes – taking the advice to just breathe for now.

“Just keep breathing for me...”, Jace rubbed his brother’s back.

...

Alec dropped his weight on the edge of his couch in the office. Jace was standing on the other end by a coffee table, pouring water for him. He had guided Alec back to his office from the conference hall and asked everyone for complete privacy. Holding out a glass for his brother, Jace pulled a stool and sat on it in front of Alec – watching him closely as he gulped the water down his throat.

“Thanks”, Alec momentarily looked into Jace’s eyes and then looked away.

“You should go to sleep now. You’ve been drowning yourself in work since morning…”, Jace suggested. Alec scrunched his nose, fisting his fingers together. He was plucking his skin again when Jace pulled his hands apart, holding them in his, protectively. “You _need to_ sleep”, he said, authoritatively.

“Something has happened to Magnus...”, Alec mumbled, not paying attention to what Jace was telling him to do. “He looks different. He sounds different”, Alec went on. “There’s a darkness...”

“Alec”, Jace stopped him. “Not tonight...”, he shook his head.

“Jace...”, Alec gritted his teeth.

“No”, Jace clenched his hands that were entwined with Alec’s. “You need to rest”, he sounded really decisive.

“You can’t order me”, Alec groaned.

“As a Shadowhunter, I can’t coz you’re my boss...”, Jace deadpanned. “But as a brother, I can... I have every right”, he added. “As a Parabatai... it is my duty, Alec. It is my privilege to be able to help my brother when he needs me...”, he explained, pulling his hands to emphasize on the fact.

“You should be out with Clary and others...”

“I want to be by your side.”, Jace interrupted him. “I was on my way when I felt your mind fogging, Alec. And I am guilty enough for not being a good brother to you all this time... and I need to start being one...”, he gulped.

“I don’t expect you...”

“I know... and that’s why I am spoilt. You spoiled me Alec... and I have ignored your needs for far too long. Not anymore”, he placed his palm on Alec’s cheek. “You _are_ my brother. You’re my _Parabatai._ I owe it to you...”, he shrugged. “Come on now... off to bed you go...”, he pulled his brother up. “Whatever it is... we’ll talk about it tomorrow”. Alec nodded, allowing himself to be guided to the bed by his brother. Jace tucked him in his duvet and turned off the lights.

“This doesn’t mean you get away with summoning Lilith”, Alec mumbled, his eyelids closing with sleep and fatigue.

“I wouldn’t expect to. Goodnight, Alec”, Jace joked, tapping his brother’s cheek as he left the office after making sure Alec had drifted off to sleep.

...

Magnus entered an apartment later that night. It wasn’t his loft, but it was a penthouse that looked over the New York Institute from a distance. This place was dark and warm and smelled of the smoky and toxic Edom. There were summoning pentagrams all across the walls and floors and Magnus could hear distant sounds of Edomai demons and painful cries.

“The Lightwoods are still in-charge of the New York Institute.”, Magnus knelt in front of a large pentagram and bowed his head down. Purple magic flared out of his hands, and the candles around the summoning circle lit up ominously. A minute or two later, a hologram appeared in the middle of it. A throne made out of black solidified lava – dripping of blood both Nephilim and Seelie alike.

“My dearest Magnus”, Asmodeus grinned, clutching the shape of the head of the lion on the arm-rest of that mighty throne. Magnus looked up with his cat-eyes and smiled in greeting.

“Father”, he tipped his chin and stood up taller than the prince of hell. “How does my kingdom look like without me?”, he asked, crossing his hands on his chest.

“It awaits it’s true ruler.”, Asmodeus smiled.

“I can’t wait to be back”, he lifted one side of his lips into a smirk that was just as devilish as it could get. “This place is just as suffocating as I remember”, he sighed, rubbing his palms together to warm his magic up. He held out his hand in air and twisted his palm with magic sparkling on his tips. A painful scream echoed in the background. Asmodeus looked over Magnus’ shoulder to see something behind him... in Edom’s realm and scoffed.

“Enough... boy. He’s suffered enough…”, the Greater Demon rolled his eyes. “Don’t forget... he pretty much instigated Jace Herondale to summon Lilith back to their realm... you wouldn’t be in that world now if not for this warlock....”

“He’s a liability now... my enemies could use him against me... and I really don’t want more blood on my hands...”, Magnus gritted his teeth, continuing to twist his wrist as the warlock choked. He couldn’t see the sufferer because the warlock was trapped in Edom, but he could make him suffer.

“Magnus, please! Let me go... I have done nothing wrong”, the warlock pleaded for his life. He was chained in wrought-iron cuffs which were poisonous. “I did everything you asked me to...”, he muttered. “Jace summoned Lilith on my insistence and the ritual gave _you_ the access back to our world...”

“You were a good soldier, Damien. I have to give you that.”, Magnus commented, tilting his head in admission. “But you are a burden now... I can’t have you walk around when you know the truth...”

“I won’t open my mouth, Magnus... I swear”, the warlock cried.

“I don’t trust you. I don’t trust anyone. And it’s not your fault, darling...”, Magnus sighed. He rubbed his wrists together and snapped his fingers.

“Magnus please”, the man screamed in agony and then the voice just vanished into nothingness. Asmodeus’ eyes widened as he saw the warlock fade into thin air.

“What did you do? Where is he?”, Asmodeus asked.

“Oh, he’s alive, father”, Magnus chuckled. “He’s just... I just sent him to play with little Edomai demons...”

“You didn’t!”, Asmodeus gasped.

“I sure did”, Magnus tilted his head. “I will see you soon, father”, he snapped his fingers again and the connection to Edom broke. “I have a mission to complete”, he muttered, rubbing the tips of his fingers together. “...and when I am done with this world again... they wouldn’t know what hit them”, he shrugged. “...and what hit _you,_ dearest Dad”, he added, looking up at the night-sky from his glass walls.

There were stormy clouds gathering.

It was going to rain.

Thunder were going engulf this city because Magnus had so desired.

Little did the mundanes know that this was not the spring weather or the movement of the earth causing ripples in the atmosphere. This was the beginning of a wrath that Magnus Bane was capable of unleashing on this world.

Getting rid of his rings on the night-stand in his new bedroom, Magnus dropped on a majestic king-sized bed with black satin sheets and a thick black duvet.

In the flickering light of a candle, a half-burnt Omamori dangled on a string.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i shall see you guys with a new chapter next friday.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> magnus settles back in brooklyn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey,
> 
> I know I wasn't supposed to update tonight but I've got some work during the end of the week and I didn't wanna leave you hanging until after the S3 finale. So, here we go. See you on the other side of next week. We're going to get through this together!

Alec woke up the next day with a pounding headache. He groaned, opening his eyes, only to see Jace sitting on the other couch, reading something off his iPad. “Jace... did something happen?”, Alec rasped in his morning voice. Sunlight was piercing through his eyes. He should have really considered blinds for his balcony doors when he moved out of his room and into his office.

“Good morning”, Jace gave him a tight-lipped smile.

“Please tell me you didn’t spend the night in my office... watching me sleep...?”, Alec yawned, pulling himself against the backrest of the couch.

“I didn’t...”, Jace rolled his eyes. He stood up from the couch and picked up a tray of breakfast from the coffee table. “I just came in a few minutes ago to make sure you had something before you started working again...”

“What time is it? I have a sparring session with Aline. I should get going... she must be waiting for me...”, Alec rubbed his eyes.

“Aline left for Alicante an hour ago.”, Jace informed, placing the tray of food in front of a sleepy Alec. Alec furrowed his brows and looked at his watch. It was almost 8:30am in the morning.

“You let me sleep until 8:30”, Alec groaned.

“You went to bed very late, Alec”, Jace frowned. “Besides, I didn’t let you do anything… you were asleep, and I didn’t wake you…”

“I had to be up at 5...”, the boy roared.

“Alec... I am sorry to say this, but you needed to rest. When was the last time you took a day-off?”

“I _needed_ to train”, Alec retorted. “You had no right... did you turn off my alarm?”, Alec arched a brow.

“I didn’t but I am glad it didn’t ring in the first place…”, Jace crossed his hands on his chest and dropped on a stool next to the bed. “Even Aline asked me to not wake you up when she came in to see where you were...”

“Jace, please don’t lie to me like that...”, Alec infuriated.

“Alec... I won’t explain myself to you. I am your brother... and your Parabatai. I can feel what you feel and even though I had nothing to do with you sleeping until late today, I am glad you did, and I can’t pretend otherwise...”, Jace spelled it out for his brother in a rather decisive tone. Alec parted his lips to argue but fell silent because he couldn’t really give him a comeback. “Now... you’re going to eat breakfast... and resume your duties as my boss while I go and make sure good food for the Shadowhunters for lunch.”, he shrugged, pushing the tray towards his brother. Alec sighed, contemplating how to respond to his brother. He didn't want to admit that sleeping beyond his usual hours had given him a little more energy than usual.

The blond-haired Shadowhunter stood up from the stool and walked out of the office, intending to leave Alec alone in peace. “Jace...”, Alec called him back when his brother was almost at the door. “Thank you... for last night”, he looked away.

“I’ve got your back, brother”, Jace smiled. “No matter how difficult you make it for me…”, he added with a wink.

…

Magnus flicked his hands in air and summoned three glasses of wine for himself and his guests. He never had been a wine-person in the centuries of his existence but the last 10 days or _two earth years_ in Edom had given him new perspectives about everything in his immortal life. “Have a seat, darlings. We have much to discuss”, he licked his lips. Two young warlocks took a seat in front of the High Warlock and swallowed. They were hardly thirty years old and this happened to be their first interaction with Magnus Bane and the power this Prince of Edom was exuding was scary. “So... I understand that Brooklyn has been under incapable leadership for the better part of three years now...?”, he clanked his claw ring against the wine-glass. “And it’s high time I change it...”, he squinted his eyes.

The first warlock, Jasper, nodded, “Of course, Magnus. Whatever you decide.”, he lifted his wine glass to his lips and took a sip, only to groan as the alcohol unusually burnt his throat. Opening his eyes, he noticed the purple sparks flaring out of Magnus’ fingers.

“It’s Mr Bane”, Magnus tilted his head.

“Sorry... Mr Bane.”, Jasper gulped as the magic soothed his burnt throat. “I apologize for my indiscretion…”

“So... as I was saying. Let’s begin with the investigation of dear Vera’s untimely death...”, he sniggered, moving his eyes away to the second warlock.

“That was two years ago... Sir”, the second warlock, Julius, frowned.

“And that makes an important argument because?”, Magnus arched a brow.

“Uh”, he gulped, as the High Warlock waited for an answer. “…I am not arguing. I was just… I mean we can totally begin with Ms Vera's disappearance and take it from there.”, he stuttered.

“She let my father lose in this world...”, Magnus growled. “...and I don’t like people ruining my work. It had taken me a year to figure out how to banish him in the first place. _All those centuries ago._ ”, Magnus recalled that special spell from centuries ago that had drained him completely – emotionally and physically. He hated the man who had birthed him. So much. “...and it took me ten fucking days to find my way back from his terrible... terrible excuse of a _home_...”, he added. “Needless to say... I don’t feel like going back into that hellhole where I don’t even get decent coffee...”

“What can we do to help?”

“I need you to find out who all Vera met the day she summoned my father. It was Halloween, wasn’t it?”, Magnus shrugged-his heart not acknowledging what else had happened that day. “Clearly someone wanted to talk him... and he took advantage of that conduit...”, he sniffed.

“We will get on it right away, Mr Bane”, Julius nodded, slyly wiping sweat beads off his forehead before Magnus noticed. “Ms Vera usually kept her memories in a safe vault in her apothecary... just to keep a record of everyone she met... if we can access it... we’ll know who all she met that day…”

“Now, we're talking...”, Magnus smiled. “...and you?”, he turned to Jasper. “I need you to tell me everything there's to know about the New York Institute. I hear you’re the one Lorenzo tasked with strengthening their wards?”

“He did”, the first warlock pursed his lips.

“Then you’ll know everything about what’s going on there. Who I should watch out for... which Nephilim is a weakling... everything!”, Magnus wiggled his brows.

“They’re very secretive, Mr Bane... but I will tell you whatever it is that you need to know”, he nodded.

“Excellent”, Magnus took a sip of his wine. “I have to go to that dreadful place to strengthen their wards now... and infuse my magic. But when I come back, I expect your memories waiting for me...”, he stood up, smoothening his shirt. The warlocks disappeared into a portal and Magnus downed the glass of wine. He walked over to the glass walls of his new penthouse and gazed at the city’s landscape ahead of him. Two years and New York was still the same. Crowded, noisy and unaware of the world that thrived under their noses.

He took a deep breath, taking in the smell of the city. There was smoke and coffee and the scent of humidity in the air. It was a smell that Magnus loved. _Had loved_ once. Now, it was a reminder of everything the city had taken from him. Including his humanity. And his ability to love.

...

[ **New York, 2019** ]

_“You cannot buy me snacks and expect me to take up your offer... I won’t go to Edom with you...”, Magnus rolled his eyes, leaning on the cold frame of a bench in Central Park. If not for his father’s scathing presence, he would have frozen to death in the chilly winter snow of New York. Not that he appreciated the ‘warmth’ his father was so hell-bent on providing._

_“A demon can hope…”, Asmodeus gleamed, taking a seat next to the man and holding out the packet of pretzels. Magnus rolled his eyes and snatched it away, not because he was giving in. Never. He was just hungry. Ever since that dreadful moment when Alec walked out on them in Maryse’s shop last night, Magnus hadn’t had anything. He thought about dinner though. There had been a plan. A ruined date. The second in a row for the estranged couple._

_Maryse would have found a neatly laid out table in her shop this morning. A compensation dinner that Magnus had planned to apologize for ruining the date Alec had planned for them only the night before. Of course, he couldn’t compensate for the fact that a box with a very special ring lay abandoned in the first drawer of Alec’s desk in the Institute, but Magnus had tried to make it up to his boyfriend._

_After helping Maryse design and redecorate her shop, Magnus had taken some time to order food from Alec’s favorite restaurant in the East Village and even set up a playlist of his favorite country music from the nineties. He knew how exhausted Alec would be. It was the night of the greatest demon activity and Magnus wouldn’t hold it past Alec to be out in the field instead of running point from his office._

_That was his Nephilim. The bravest man Magnus had the pleasure of knowing and falling in love with._

_But, none of that mattered now._

_Alec had made his choice. And it was time for Magnus Bane to rise from the ashes and move on. Make his own path in his life... separate from Alec Lightwood’s. “If you don’t want to come to Edom with me just yet... at least let us go and pay Lorenzo Rey a visit. It’s been a while since I interacted with anyone other than my pesky soldiers, Lilith... or my son. And he has taken over your home... and it would be very un-fatherly of me to leave you here with no roof over your head.”, he chided, sipping his coffee. Asmodeus... the Greater Demon. One of the Prince’s of Hell was drinking a mundane cappuccino._

_“Don’t you have work to do? Why don’t you just leave me be... I can stay in a hotel…”, Magnus spat._

_“I love you, my boy...”_

_“YOU DON’T!”, Magnus screamed, placing distance between him and his father. “You just want me to serve you... you want to own me... that’s all you want”_

_“You misunderstand my intentions, love”_

_“Don’t call me that!”, Magnus gritted his teeth – his cat eyes on full display in broad daylight. “Don’t call me that”_

_“For centuries I have tried to prove how much I love you... how much you mean to me... and all you do is insult my love for you”, Asmodeus sighed. Magnus rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. “And what good did it do to you...huh? You lost everything because of this selfish world...”, he scoffed, sipping his cappuccino._

_“I also gained freedom here! And a chance to correct all the wrongs that you had made me do...”, Magnus retorted._

_“Is that what you think? Was Camille Belcourt your freedom and redemption?”, Asmodeus arched a brow. Magnus clenched his jaw at the mention of his abusive ex. A woman he had spent centuries trying to move on from. “...or was it Imasu...? Certainly George had a certain mundane charm about himself... but he left you in pain, if I am not wrong. They all did...”, he poked around Magnus’ painful memories, knowing very well what he was doing to his boy._

_“...and you call yourself my father?”, Magnus sniffed, holding back his tears. He wrapped his arms around himself. “is that what a good father does? Dig up his son’s past...?”_

_“I am merely trying to prove a point...”, Asmodeus shrugged._

_“...and what would that be?”_

_“That this world has given you nothing but pain”, he rolled his eyes. “Alexander Lightwood is the recent example”, he smirked. Magnus’ heart wrenched at the mention of his Shadowhunter. His boyfriend. His EX-boyfriend and he swallowed away his tears, licking his lips to stop the trembling._

_“You have no idea what this place has given me”, Magnus sniffled._

_“Alec Lightwood broke you... in ways even Camille and Imasu couldn’t...”_

_“Were you rooting for that?”, he swallowed._

_“Is that what you think of me?”, Asmodeus feigned offence._

_“I don’t think about you. Period”, Magnus spat._

_“You should. Because I am the one who is here with you right now... I am one who felt the pain Alec Lightwood gave you... your pain brought me here, son”, he emphasized, leaving out the details of the nasty deal that he had made to ‘ensure’ the said pain._

_“Stop pretending like you’re not enjoying this...”_

_“You think I like giving pain to my own flesh and blood...”_

_“You’re a demon... there’s no flesh and blood about you”, Magnus flared his nostrils in anger._

_“Your abhorrence for your father is clouding your judgement, son”, Asmodeus clicked his tongue._

_“And who’s the reason for my abhorrence?”, Magnus rolled his eyes._

_“Don’t blame that on me... Magnus. I was simply trying to make you get used to your own powers. You are my son. You’re my greatest creation”, he sighed._

_“Oh, please. I am done listening to the same bullshit for the last four centuries. This world saw me for who I was... beyond my magic... beyond my cat eyes. They saw me as a friend... as a mentor... I have a life here...”_

_“You did, son”, Asmodeus clenched his jaw. “You had a family here... now you don’t. The warlocks of Brooklyn hate you... your best friend is dead... and Alec Lightwood”, he named the boy again. “That Alexander Lightwood is gone too. He doesn’t want you either”_

_“That’s not true...”_

_“He doesn’t want you, Magnus. He made it clear”, Asmodeus repeated. He knew exactly what he was doing to his boy. Magnus closed his eyes and his mind reeled with the replay of his breakup with Alec. “He only wanted you for your magic...”, Asmodeus fed Magnus’ heartbroken soul. “Without your magic... you were a burden to him... and liability that he got rid of... as soon as he could”_

_“That’s not who Alexander is”, Magnus closed his eyes and clenched his teeth together._

_“He loved your powers. Without them, you are nothing but a mundane to him”, Asmodeus smirked as he saw the ends of Magnus’ fingers flare up with red magic that was a signature of his Edomai inheritance. “I love you, Magnus. Magic or not. Powers or not. You’re my son. You’re my blood”, he stepped forward. “I promise I would never abandon you...”, he lifted his hands held his son’s shoulders. The warlock slumped in his hold, breaking down again. “You’re my pride, my boy. Let us go to Edom...”, he suggested. Magnus looked up from his tear-stricken eyes. “Your rightful home... your kingdom... it’s where you belong, my child”, he tipped his chin._

_Magnus shut his eyes and looked away. There was nothing left in him... no power to resist his father. He didn’t want to go to Edom... but there was nothing holding him here. Nothing holding him back._

...

[ **New York, 2021** ]

Magnus held the broken pieces of his wine glass in his hand. Ten days ago, he had let his father take hold over him once again. He had let himself be dragged all the way to hell because he had been too heartbroken to resist a father’s love. A very selfish father’s love that had never brought him anything more than pain. And before all that, he had let a mortal... a fucking Shadowhunter at that, break his heart and shatter it into pieces. A boy he could destroy with a snap of his fingers. But no more, there was no way he was going to let himself be destroyed like that. And if that meant the world burnt instead, he didn’t care. Because that world had not cared for him.

Vanishing the pieces of broken glass and blood out of his hands, Magnus blinked away his tears and straightened himself. There wasn’t a way he would let either his father or a certain Shadowhunter dictate his life anymore. He was Magnus Bane and he could very well survive alone. Thrive in fact. If not for the two of them, he would have still had his sanity and his job here.

There was a reason behind his return to the city that had ruined him and that’s what mattered.

Vengeance and unravelling the truth.

That is all he cared about.

...

[ **Edom, sometime between 2019 and 2021** ]

_Edom hadn’t changed a lot since Magnus had last been a refugee there. It was still negative and dark, devoid of any hope or light... and people or creatures that entered the realm with any left, Edom was capable of sucking it all out. He had spent his time so far here with Asmodeus, practicing dark spells that created new demons and curses that would haunt millions. Demons that would let lose havoc in one of the mundane universes and keep the Shadowhunters on their toes. Magnus had choked a warlock who had defied his orders and helped Asmodeus take two Seelies down as prisoners for their betrayal to the throne of Edom._

_A far-off Lake in the realm of Hell had been one of the places that Magnus particularly had avoided so far. The waters of the lake were capable of diminishing hope and light in the person who drank it. Asmodeus had used these waters to kill and torture uncountable Nephilim and Magnus' childhood memories lodged painful moments where he had witnessed innocent mundanes losing their minds because of the Lake. Magnus had resisted the waters as much as he could have... but he had hazy memories of certain evenings and he was sure that his father had done something to him. That Lake was truly the only way Asmodeus could have taken full control of his son. Maybe he had already drunk the waters without realizing it for himself. Or maybe he was just beginning to see the mundane world for what it was. In his time in Edom, no one had tried to summon him... or much less, try to track him down. It was as if nobody cared that he had disappeared from the face of this earth a few days ago._

_He had felt no connection to the world he had called home for so many centuries and Magnus was beginning to fear that Asmodeus had been right._

_Nobody cared that he had been gone for almost a week now._

_“Asmodeus’ son. I didn’t think I would bump into you so soon…”, he heard an enchanting voice behind him. A voice he clearly remembered from the meeting back at his loft a few weeks ago. It was Lilith. The stunning and despicable Lilith._

_“Lilith”, Magnus breathed out._

_“I see Asmodeus hasn’t let you glamour your eyes”_

_“Why should I hide who I am?”, Magnus rolled his eyes. “This is my home. I am not a abnormal here…”, Magnus smiled. He had started to believe his own darkness._

_“I see...”, Lilith smiled. “Asmodeus is working his magic on you... the day has finally dawned on Edom. The prodigal son is returning from war... to take his rightful place on the throne...”, she smirked._

_“How do you mean?”_

_“I see a darkness in you, Magnus Bane. Asmodeus is snuffing out your light. He is tapping into your full potential, Mr High Warlock of Brooklyn”, she whispered, rather seductively. Magnus swallowed, stepping away from the woman._

_“I am making sure Asmodeus is not doing anything to me...”, Magnus rolled his eyes again. “He cannot take away what is in my heart…”_

_“Is that what you believe?”, she laughed._

_“I know it... because it’s the truth”, Magnus furrowed his brows._

_“You really don’t remember... do you?”, she cupped his jaw, making him flinch back._

_“What are you talking about...?”_

_“Your father... he’s trying to snuff out light from your soul... just like Valentine injected my son with demon blood. He’s destroying you from your soul, Magnus”, she gleamed._

_“I would know if he was doing something like that...”_

_“You really wouldn’t Magnus... Asmodeus is too powerful and sneaky”, she sighed. “There’s a reason I still can’t let my wings lose in Edom. He has his pesky little magic controlling my emotions...”_

_“I willingly came here... he doesn’t have to control me. I am here because I want to be...”, Magnus growled._

_“It’s strange how dark your magic looks now”, Lilith lifted Magnus’ hands and the man noticed. For the very first time. The sparks out of his fingertips weren’t blue... they weren’t even yellow... they were a dark mixture of maroon and purple._

_“This is not my magic...”, Magnus gasped._

_“I am afraid it is... Magnus”, Lilith shrugged. “It’s strange... though, don’t you think? You don’t even recognize your own self... and your magic. The darkness is consuming you and you can’t even feel it... but that’s not what bothers me...”_

_“What does then?”, Magnus swallowed – feeling this dark magic searing through his veins like it belonged to him inherently._

_“The moment Asmodeus descended on earth... our conduit... a warlock Vera died in her saloon”, she shrugged._

_“Vera... the warlock in Brooklyn?”, Magnus knew the lady. “Why do you care about a half-demon?”_

_“She was a good lady... and owed me a few favors. I could keep a check on that world using her conduit… find people that could help me become stronger…”_

_“She died?”, Magnus gasped._

_“She did... or so my little soldiers told me... and they saw Asmodeus in the same realm a few minutes later. It is really strange... don’t you think?”, she smiled._

_“Are you implying that my father was the reason Vera died… it can’t be. He was not even there when it-”, Magnus widened his eyes, as he realized something. “He was summoned before Alec...”, he stopped mid-sentence. He hadn’t spoken the Shadowhunter’s name in almost a week and there was no way he was going to do it now. Asmodeus was already between the two realms when Magnus had lost everything._

_Asmodeus had lied about feeling Magnus’ pain. A pang of expected betrayal hit Magnus’ chest and hurt him nonetheless. “What do you know about Vera?”, Magnus fixed his gaze on the Queen of Hell. If there was an ulterior motive behind Asmodeus bringing Magnus to Edom, he had the right to know. If Asmodeus had something to do with all this, he needed to know._

_“Nothing more... I just know that Asmodeus isn’t as loving a father as you’d think”_

_“I never thought he was loving”, Magnus argued._

_“You were beginning to believe it... your dark magic is proof enough of that...”, she smiled. That was true. The last few days had been strangely weird for Magnus. Something in him was changing and he couldn’t pinpoint it._

_“Why are you going behind his back...?”, Magnus asked, arching a brow._

_“I despise him”, she gritted her teeth. “With everything I have... and if I can make sure his son is his undoing, why won’t I take that chance?”, she wiggled her brows. “If you still don’t believe me... where is that little charm that your Alec gave you?”, she asked._

_“He’s not mine”, Magnus sniffed, groping for the Omamori charm that always adorned his pockets. It was gone. There was nothing in there. Magnus pulled his pocket out and gasped. He had left Maryse’s shop with that Omamori charm still with him. It should have still been there. Only, it wasn’t._

_“Your father knows what effect that charm has on you... he would never let you keep it”, she informed._

_“I don’t remember giving it away...”, Magnus gulped._

_“You won’t... that’s your father’s style. Go... search your room... you’ll find that charm... unless you have subconsciously destroyed it?”_

...

[ **New York, 2021** ]

Magnus stole a glance at the half-burnt charm hanging on the nightstand next to his bed. This charm had pulled him out of the trance that Asmodeus had tried to drown his son in. This was the only thing that had tethered him back to this world. Lilith had divulged the information of Vera’s death to Magnus to trigger war between the father and son... which would have only benefitted her. But that information was vital. Asmodeus hadn’t come to this world to save his son... he was already here before Alec mercilessly broke his heart. Someone had already summoned him through Vera.

Someone who possibly wanted Magnus gone for good. And that’s what Magnus was here to find out about. If he knew who had spoken to Asmodeus that day... he would know who wanted Magnus out of this world... so desperately. And then the High Warlock would have an answer to who he wanted to kill.

Magnus snapped his hand up to grab the fire message that had just landed in his penthouse.

 

 

> Dear Mr Bane,
> 
> The Head of the New York Institute, Alexander Gideon Lightwood formally extends a cordial invite to join him for the monthly cabinet meeting in the New York Institute on next full moon. He looks forward to a meaningful round of discussion that would mutually benefit the Shadow World.

 

Magnus scoffed, flaming the fire message when he was done reading.

...

Alec had a very boring yet mentally tumultuous day at work. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t keep Magnus out of his mind. There was so much he wanted to talk to the warlock about. Where had he been all these years? Was he okay? Where was he living now? But there was no way he would ever be allowed to cross the walls that he had seen around Magnus yesterday. The same ones he had carefully pulled down a few years ago. And then there was his work. Everyone in the Institute had been, surprisingly, super easy on him that day... maybe it was the yelling from last evening... or just Jace but no rules had been broken. Clary had been diligently working security with Underhill while Izzy and Jace had quietly taken to catering duty in the kitchen.

It was almost evening when Isabelle found him in his office going through the reports from the demon attacks on Halloween night. There were three whole folders full of it. “Daisy sent out invites for the next Cabinet meeting”, she informed, knocking at the door, holding a file in her hand.

“That’s good, thank you Isabelle! You can call it a day now...”, Alec cleared his throat and dove back into his iPad.

“I... do you have a minute to spare?”, Izzy gulped. Alec looked up and met his sister’s gaze.

“What is it?”, he asked.

“I was just thinking... it’s only... a suggestion... and obviously you can totally refuse it...”, she licked her lips nervously. Alec shut the iPad screen and turned himself to face his sister and give her his undivided attention. “Why don’t you go see Matt tonight?”, she asked.

“Why? Is he ok?”, Alec crossed his hands on his chest.

“Oh no, he’s fine. Absolutely fine”, she nodded. “...but I just thought he could be the one who can make you feel a little better and relaxed. That’s all...”, she stammered the words out of her mouth.

“I am fine. I am sure Jace exaggerated about everything he told you...”, Alec arched a brow.

“You are... of course. And Jace pretty much didn’t tell me anything. I just noticed that you’re a little...”, she paused as Alec’s stare turned into a glare. “...stressed. So, so... I mean you and Matt are close... and maybe seeing Matt would probably... help you, you know?”, she insisted. Alec rubbed his palms together and sighed. Maybe she was right. Meeting him couldn’t be such a bad idea after all.

“I haven’t seen him in a while...”, Alec pondered.

“Yes... also that”, Isabelle’s eyes brightened.

“I could make some time I guess...”, he sighed. A smile swept across her sister’s face and she jumped a little in her position.

“Great... I told him that he should expect you...”, she chirped.

“Isabelle?”, Alec gasped.

“I am sorry... I just... I knew you wouldn’t refuse the idea... so...”, she held her ears in forgiveness. Alec shook his head, his eyes softening in his expressions. Izzy waited for a smile on Alec’s face but as usual it didn’t happen. He just nodded and turned his back to her.

Maybe one day her brother would smile again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought!
> 
> up next - Magnus visits the Institute to strengthen the wards.


	4. Chapter 4

Magnus returned to the New York institute the same evening to reinstate the wards as his own replacing Lorenzo’s work. It was important for the new High Warlock to ensure that the local Shadowhunters’ home was secured by their magic and not the magic of the preceding warlock. It was a security precaution and Magnus couldn’t have found a better way to make sure he had access to the place whenever he wanted. It was vital. He made his way to the core where the wards were supposed to be instated from and saw a dark-haired female Shadowhunter waiting for him.

He knew her so well and she reminded him of a bright yet deceptive time of his life. A time he wanted to delete from his memory. There was a certain Downworlder standing by her side and that made Magnus furrow his brows. It was unusual for a Vampire to have had been so close to the core without setting off an alert. Simon Lewis. Of course, he was the friendly one. Clary’s best friend... but why would he be here with Isabelle Lightwood? They were friends... but that’s all. He had no idea that Alec’s younger sister had found such a close accomplice in the Lewis boy. “Isabelle Lightwood”, Magnus cleared his throat.

Isabelle spun on her chunky heels and gave him a big grin – ignoring how Magnus had chosen to call her by her full name. “Magnus”, she exclaimed, lurching forward with open arms that she wrapped around his neck, pulling him in for an embrace. Magnus flinched at the sudden display of affection and he softly placed a palm on the small of her back. “We missed you here, so much...”, she spoke against his shoulder before pulling away because Magnus jerked back. “So happy that you’re back... and in control of Brooklyn again”. The happiness and pride in her eyes were genuine and a small part of Magnus felt warm. He wanted to believe that she was truly delighted to have him back, but he knew better.

These Nephilim only cared for their selfish needs. Nothing more. She just liked him as long as he was associated with her brother. Now, he was just another downworld leader for her. He had to be.

“It feels good to be back”, Magnus smirked, looking over the girl’s shoulder to acknowledge Simon Lewis who just nodded in greeting. “Simon”, he acknowledged the boy’s presence.

“Magnus”, Simon tipped his head. Izzy stepped back to be closer to him. “I will be waiting for you once you’re done.”, Simon cleared his throat and stepped forward, turning to face the girl. He placed an arm around Isabelle’s waist and pulled her closer to his chest. Izzy blushed as she gave him a chaste kiss on his lips. _Oh. OH_. Magnus arched his brows. Isabelle and Simon. _That_ was unexpected. He looked away to give the young couple their moment until he heard Simon leave the hall. Isabelle collected herself and focused back on Magnus.

“Shall we begin?”, she asked, holding out her hand.

“After you”, Magnus nodded. They reached the main core of the wards and Isabelle lowered the glamours with a rune. The angelic ley lines powering the Institute glowed bright against the Adamas that secured the walls. Magnus snapped his fingers and flattened his palms in the air and purple magic smoothly flowed out – merging the two energies together.

“You had us all so worried, Magnus. Two fucking years without so much so as a clue to where you were...”, Isabelle sighed, watching Magnus do his magic on the walls of the place she called home. “Alec did everything to look for you... but you were just gone. Disappeared”, she muttered. “Your magic... we couldn’t even track your magic...”, she emphasized.

“I was away”, Magnus muttered, his eyes flickering between the calm cat eyes to the bloodred flames that were his Edomai traits now. He couldn’t make himself believe a word that girl was saying. If any one had cared about Magnus, he wouldn’t have had to suffer alone at the hands of his dear father. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he flinched again.

“So... are you back at your loft?”, she asked.

“That filthy excuse of an apartment that Lorenzo so skillfully destroyed? No... I have better standards”, Magnus mocked.

“Whatever it is, I am glad you’re back. We’re all glad in fact... it was really dull around here, without you...”, she sighed, relief indicative in her tone. Magnus scoffed inaudibly, rolling his eyes – all of which were oblivious to the Lightwood girl. “We all missed you here”

“Clearly”, Magnus responded, dryly. “You seem really happy with Simon”, he changed the conversation.

“Simon is”, Isabelle let out a breath. “...he is amazing”, she smiled. “I am sorry I didn’t realize that you had no idea”, she swallowed.  
“You don’t have to apologize. I just didn’t expect it”, he shrugged.

“I didn’t either... when I first met him, he was so... I could have never imagined that he would fall for someone like me... he’s just... the best man I could have asked for...”, she replied, dreaming about her boyfriend.

“...and he is immortal.”, Magnus laughed bitterly. Isabelle’s smile vanished, and she looked away as if the two had had this conversation already. For Magnus, this issue had been all the more potent because it may have been one of the reasons why he thought he had failed to be good enough for Alec Lightwood.

“Magnus...”, she muttered.

“You are not obliged to speak with me... just because we’re here alone”, Magnus looked over his shoulder. “I am more than happy to do my job and leave peacefully...”, he added, turning his head back to the walls. Isabelle swallowed, taking a step back and replacing a little distance between the two.

“We deserve it...”, she rolled her eyes. “...for what happened”, she admitted.

“Excuse me?”

“Alec broke your heart and we deserve this despise”, she faked a smile on her face. “But I hope you know that we’re genuinely happy to have you back... and that you give us a chance to redeem ourselves... whenever you are ready to forgive us.” she lifted her shoulders.

“Speaking of Alec”, Magnus cleared his throat – unwilling to take that arc of the conversation forward. “Isn’t the Head of the Institute supposed to be running point on this? Is he too afraid to face me?”, Magnus arched a brow. Isabelle stared at him in confusion and shook her head. “And there’s this irritating little detail that you’re missing out on. We would need his angelic signature to confirm that the new wards are up and running...”

“Yeah... yeah”, she lifted her hands to her waist. “Uhm, Alec is not here at the moment.”, she sighed. “I didn’t realize that we would need him... or I wouldn’t have let him go before you were done...”, rubbing her temple she pulled out her phone. “I am sorry Magnus. Alec took some personal time off...”, she murmured.

“I don’t need an explanation”, Magnus replied, not bothering to meet Isabelle’s gaze. He pursed his lips, drinking down his resentment for the Shadowhunter-kind and focused his energy back on the wards. He needed to find an opportunity to add that extra variant in the magic that would allow him to sneak in and out without alerting the angel blood. And that required patience and the right chance. In a way, he was glad Alec wasn’t here because his presence would have only infuriated Magnus’ dark side – clouding his judgement. “He’s not picking up his phone...”, Isabelle informed. “Do you mind working here for a minute or two... I’ll go get Jace? He is Alec’s Parabatai... they share the same energy...”

“Go ahead. I would love to get this done asap.”, Magnus winked and continued to enforce new wards. Once Isabelle was safely away from him, he swiftly infused a sliver of his soul into the magic of the wards. Now, the new wards recognized angel blood and his own demon one the same way. If this worked, he would never have a problem doing his dirty work in the confinements of this building. For what he was planning as gift for his father, he would have required some resources that were essentially Nephilim in origin. And if he couldn’t get them on request, he’d need to procure them without anyone realizing that they were gone.  
“It completely slipped out of my mind that we would need Alec for this. I would have asked him to go a while later...”, Magnus heard Isabelle walk in with another pair of footsteps that would have belonged to Jace Herondale.

“Alec needed that time off... but yeah, we should have been more careful about the timing of it all...”, Jace shrugged. Magnus tilted his head, wanting to pry into this conversation that involved Alec. “By the Angel though, Matt is the only one who can pull him out of his mood”, he joked. Magnus narrowed his brows. _Matt_.

“You should have heard Matt’s voice when I told him that he should expect Alec tonight. He quite literally jumped out of his couch...”, Izzy gleamed with joy, rolling up Jace’s sleeves and activating his angelic rune on the back of his arm. She pulled up his t-shirt to expose the Parabatai rune and then activated it using her stele. “Come on... beckon your Parabatai now.”, she nudged her brother. Jace placed his palms flat on the wards and closed his eyes.

The edges of his Parabatai rune glowed golden and emitted light. “Thanks to you... the Institute is really quiet tonight. I don’t hear him screaming at anyone in the corridors...”, he chuckled. Isabelle smacked him on his arm, scoffing softly. Magnus stepped away as the angelic rune coupled with the Parabatai one did his job and confirmed the presence of the new wards. It was a crucial moment. If the rune detected the presence of Magnus’ demonic soul in the wards – it was over for him. He would get away unscathed because these idiots trusted him... but he would lose his only chance of gaining access to this building.

“My brother isn’t that hard a taskmaster as you make him out to be. We just make his life really difficult as a leader.”, Izzy chided her brother. Magnus looked between the siblings and listened... quietly.

“Thanks to him... you and I have to cook for the entire New York Institute... until he deems fit”, Jace imitated his brother’s order, eliciting a laughter out of Isabelle Lightwood. “Oh man! I so wish we had the same effect on him as Matt does. It would make our lives a whole lot easier than it is these days...”, he rubbed his palm down his face, the laughter dying down.

“Matt is a special one. I don’t think anyone can even come close to Alec like that”, Isabelle shrugged. “And we deserve the punishment Alec’s given us. It was a stupid idea to summon Lilith anyway”, she shook her head. Magnus’ lips curved into a devilish smile because it had been his plan all along. He needed an opening to return to this world and the Shadowhunters summoning Lilith was the perfect chance. He had tasked Damien, a warlock living in New York, with insisting Jace and Clary that it was in their best interest to summon Lilith. Damien had taken his time but had gotten the job done. Which was not all on his credit... Jace and Clary were just the most suggestive of the Nephilim. The fact that Isabelle played along was just a happy surprise.

“Well... the wards seem fine. Thank you, Magnus”, Jace dropped his hand from the wall and looked at the High Warlock who was tapping his boot on the cold tiles of the floor. He flickered his pupils to meet Jace’s gaze and nodded. “It’s good to have you back”, he held out a hand towards him. Magnus looked between the hand and Jace’s face and turned away, examining the wards.

“...or so everyone keeps saying”, he commented. Adjusting his claw ring on his thumb, Magnus spun on his heels to leave. “My work here is done. Do inform Mr Lightwood that I will be back next month to freshen these...”, he waved his hand in air.

“Thank you, Magnus... on behalf of the Head of the Institute...”, Isabelle smiled. She stepped forward to escort him out.

“Don’t bother, Ms Lightwood”, Magnus lifted his hand to stop her. “I know my way out of this place”, he bitterly spat.

The walk out of the Institute was a hazy one. There was anger bubbling inside Magnus and he needed to be away from mundane settlement before it overtook him. A portal back to his penthouse opened right outside the main door and he stepped inside. The portal took him to his cold balcony made out of black stone. He grunted, fisting his hands on his sides and letting purple balls of magic congregate. With one flick of the wrist, the ball crashed into a statue.

_Matt, who the fuck is Matt?_

His mind reeled.

  
_Breaking Magnus’ heart had done nothing to Alec. How convenient._

  
Magnus threw the other ball of fire into the wall and grunted. “You disgust me. You angel blood. You left me alone to burn.”, he mumbled – fresh tears forming in his eyes. “The fact that I actually thought you were different”, he scoffed, saliva spewing out of his mouth. “My bad. Alec Lightwood... you are just another Shadowhunter”

...

  
Magnus was in his night-robe by the time Julius arrived with information about Vera’s unexplained demise. He had already downed three martinis and was just getting started with the night. “Mr Bane”, Julius folded his hands behind his back and bowed his head down. The High Warlock’s eyes were glowing a dark shade of red.

“Have a seat, Julius”, Magnus arched his brows. Julius sat down and relaxed on the couch.

“I went to Vera’s shop earlier today”, he informed. “It had been secured shut by Mr Rey to make sure nobody noticed that she was gone”

“Typical Lorenzo”, Magnus took a deep breath, summoning a glass of martini for Julius.

“Surprisingly enough... there had been no attempts to scour the place for evidence and I pretty much found every item in its original place. Even Vera’s body had been magically preserved to look like she had only recently passed away”, Julius shrugged. He snapped his fingers and a bunch of photos appeared on the coffee table. Magnus leaned forward and saw the warlock’s dead body.

“Someone was trying to preserve all the evidence. Someone wanted to make sure that Vera’s murderer was caught.”, Magnus muttered under his breath. Julius had managed to un-glamour Vera’s body to show the present state of desiccation and Magnus was impressed. There seemed to be no physical injuries except for a twisted torso. Someone had crushed her spine. It was a very cruel way of killing someone by first paralyzing them. It was a signature move by someone who had no remorse whatsoever. It had to be a Greater Demon.

“Do you know who visited her on the day she died?”, he asked the warlock.

“I managed to summon a list of people she met but the spell is still on-going. I have managed to retrieve all the invitees until 10:20am that day... it is going to take a while. Possibly by the end of tomorrow night...”, Julius handed over an enchanted scroll to Magnus. It would be a long while before Magnus could notice any peculiar entry in that list.

Julius placed another set of photographs on the table. They were scans of Vera’s apothecary. “That right there is her vault”, he informed, pointing at a space on the far-end of the wall. “I suspect all her memories of her meetings are stored in there”, he swallowed as Magnus magically enhanced the image and magnified it.

“It’s sealed shut with magic”, the High Warlock whispered.

“I have a friend of mine working on figuring out what kind of spell it is”, Julius shrugged. “By the end of the day...”

“It’s sealed with a blood-sacrifice”, Magnus rolled his eyes and informed in a tone which indicated that it was an obvious observation. “Only Vera’s blood can open the vaults and give us access to the contents”, he shrugged.

“That means it’s impossible to retrieve her memories”, Julius gaped. “Vera’s blood has clotted beyond recovery”, he shrugged.

“Anything’s possible, dear Julius”, Magnus stood up from the couch and turned around. He had run into a dead-end but there had to be a way. “Keep digging until you find something useful for me”

“Sure, Mr Bane. I will get back to you as soon as I can”, Julius stood up. “Thank you for the drink”, he pointed at the half-empty glass.

  
...

  
Alec returned to Institute later in the night and felt new wards resisting his angelic blood. So, Magnus had done his work. He pressed his palm on the sacred adamas walls and closed his eyes. Magnus’ magic was roaring through them. And he could recognize it anywhere. “How is Matt?”, Isabelle walked over to him and asked.

“He is doing fine. Sends you and Jace his love.”, Alec mumbled. “Magnus was here?”, he asked.

Isabelle nodded, heaving a deep sigh. “You were right”, she muttered.

“About what? I am usually right about a couple of things and you all blatantly ignore my suggestions...”, Alec frowned, turning around to walk inside the Institute and towards his office. Isabelle followed him inside.

“Magnus sounds different”, she shrugged.

Alec’s gaze dropped on the floor and he fisted his hands on his side. “Different, how?”, he asked.

“He looks unattached”, she licked her lower lip. “Simon and I met him at the main core and he just...”

“What was Simon Lewis doing at the core? Isabelle you know that the core is poisonous for anyone with demon blood and you allowed that Vampire in...”, Alec lifted his hand stopped Isabelle from talking. Isabelle swallowed. She couldn’t believe she had blurted out Simon’s presence in front of Alec.  
“He wasn’t there for long, Alec. I swear. He just... we were out of the core’s radius and he left as soon as Magnus came in...”, she clarified. Alec was still trying to accept Simon Lewis as a part of Isabelle’s life and with his romantic life non-existent at the point, the process had been ridiculously slower than usual. Alec rubbed his palm down his face, exhausted by Isabelle and his siblings’ continued breach of protocol. “...but Magnus sounded like he nothing mattered to him... we meant nothing to him...”, she shrugged, biting off her chapped lips.

“He’s been alone for a while”, Alec defended his ex-boyfriend.

“...and his magic, Alec. I have never seen his magic so dark and strange for us”, she sighed. Alec could agree with that. “What did he tell you about his whereabouts in your meeting with him last night?”

“He implied that I had no right to know”, Alec deadpanned. “...and I agree with him”

“Do you think that making that deal with Asmodeus is what caused this change in Magnus...? Do you think that his heartache made him embrace the dark parts of his life?”, she asked, crossing her hands on her chest. It was crossing a line in Isabelle’s opinion. No one had dared to talk about the break-up in the last two years and she knew that there could be consequences.

“I don’t think I have the right to know what’s going on with him anymore”, Alec clarified, opening the door of his office.

“Alec if this was something that we did... or insinuated, then we owe it to Magnus to fix it. You owe Magnus that”, she argued.

“I know that!”, Alec turned around and yelled. “I KNOW!”, he reiterated. “But Magnus made it pretty clear that he wants me out of his hair... and after I took away so much from him... I can’t go against this wish”, he dropped on his chair, holding his forehead with his palms.

“If you help him control this darkness that he has let in... you would be helping him”, Isabelle softened her voice.

“I can’t become close to Magnus without jeopardizing my deal with his father...”, Alec mumbled.

“Allow me to do it?”, she asked.

“What?”

“Let me go and figure out what is wrong with Magnus or if he needs help. As his friend, we need to do this for him...”, she swallowed, dropping on her knees in front of her brother.“ I swear, Alec... I’ll be careful”

“Izzy, you can’t”, Alec shook his head. Isabelle’s heart melted when she noticed that he had called her Izzy again. After almost two years, he had used her nickname for her. She flicked the tears away from her eyes and curled her hands around his fingers. “We owe it to him to give him the choice to let us in or not.”, he shrugged. “He deserves it...”

“Alec, he’s been alone for two years. Angel knows where. He needs people around him... because space is all he’s had and now he needs people who love him”, she swallowed. “And I know you get that because you’re not the type of man who would let someone you care about, suffer?”, Izzy arched a brow. “My brother is wiser than that”, she added.

“You’re right...”, Alec swallowed. “But sometimes... you need to take a step back for the people you love the most... because separation might benefit them more than your presence. Besides, I am really tired, Izzy... I’d like to go to bed after finishing this paperwork”, Alec cleared his throat.

Isabelle stood up and took a deep breath. Maybe it was time for her to take a step back too.

...

Magnus turned the TV after summoning Pizza for dinner when a portal opened and Madzie walked into his apartment. It was almost 7:30pm, nearing the little warlock’s bedtime. Magnus craned his neck up from his couch and frowned. “What are you doing here, darling? Where’s your mother?”, he asked.

“She has a shift at the hospital. I was bored”, Madzie shrugged, opening a tub of ice-cream in front.

“You portalled here alone?”, Magnus widened his eyes. “Sweetpea, you’re still too young to portal around. You could have been stuck in limbo...or worse, gotten lost”, he gasped, pulling the little girl to his chest.

“I am fine, Magnus. Mom opened the portal for me. She trusts me.”, Madzie scoffed, pecking Magnus’ cheek and snuggling into the comforter lying on the couch. Magnus held out the remote and she switched channels to her favorite cartoon. “I brought ice-cream for the two of us”.

Magnus uncapped the tub. It was chocochip cookie crumble flavor – Magnus’ utmost favorite. “There’s syrup too”, she pointed at the brown takeaway packet. Magnus pulled out a squirt tube and two spoons.

“What’s the occasion?”, he asked.

“I told you I was bored”, Madzie shrugged. She opened her mouth wide – indicating that she expected Magnus to feed her ice-cream. Magnus swallowed the lump in his throat, wrapping his arm around the girl and pulling her to his chest. “I have missed you around”, she whispered, digging a spoon in the ice-cream tub that Magnus firmly held in his free hand.

“Yeah?”, he caressed her hair, untangling the knots softly.

“Yeah... it’s been dull”, she sighed. “But you’re here now... so you can make up for the missed ice-cream dates”, she shrugged. Magnus scoffed, feeling moisture gather in the corner of his eyes.

A while later Madzie dozed off in his arms, snuggling into his chest. That’s when his gaze fell on the tips of his fingers. They were sparkling with magic that he had been using to lull the girl into slumber. And the magic wasn’t purple or blazing red. Not in the entirety at least.

There was a calm blue hue.

The remnant of who he had been once upon a time.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the truth keeps unraveling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys,  
> how are we doing? I just popped in to say that i love you... and no matter what, i am not going anywhere.
> 
> PS: I just wanted to say that I DO read all the comments you post on the fic and they help me a lot. I might not be able to reply to them because of schedule or whatever, but I do read them... AND appreciate them a whole lot more!!

Alec was in the Ops center – observing a demon chase in the Upper East Side when the radar signal tracking Lilith’s signals went silent on one of the screens. His siblings had made sure they were able to track Lilith around when they’d summoned her from Edom a few days ago but now, she was just gone – leaving distracting signatures all over the city.

“Underhill, take position here”, he grunted, ordering the chief of security to take his place while he shifted to the other screen. “What’s happening with Lilith’s tracking device?”, he asked the comms manager seated under him. The girl was shivering with Alec Lightwood breathing right behind him while she pressed random keyboard keys sending commands after commands.

“Lilith went off radar, sir”, she sighed, murmuring with fear.

“How?”, Alec leaned forward, pressing his fists down on the table.

“She must have figured out that the summoning circle we used to bring her to this realm was rigged with a tracking element”, the Shadowhunter adjusted her specs on her nose and panicked, doing everything she could to bring Lilith’s trace back. She had seen him diss out his own family for summoning the Queen of Hell and she had no intentions of being on the receiving end of his wrath.

“Pin her last location for me?”, Alec pointed his index finger at the screen. A red location pin icon appeared on the screen. And then another one followed a second after. Before Alec could realize, there were hundreds of location pins scattered across the map of New York. “...what the hell is happening?”

“She is leaving traces of her magic everywhere... to distract us. It’s a well-thought of agenda, sir. She’s known about the tracking for a while...”, the Shadowhunter waved her hands across the screen.

“We’ve lost the Queen of Hell to traces of her magic?”, Alec arched a brow, fisting the table. Coffee mugs across the table rippled in effect. “Underhill”, he snapped up at his most trusted soldier. “...get me team of Shadowhunters now...”, he ordered. Pulling out his phone, he made a quick call. “Helen... hey, its Alec here. I could really use your help. Could you portal to New York right now, please”, he muttered. “Thanks... I’ll be waiting for you here”

“Alec, we know it’s our fault”, the Head of the Institute turns to find his Parabatai and his girlfriend standing on the stairwell. “...but we can help. We can take a team out and search for Lilith...”

“You’re not allowed to go on missions”, Alec reminded them.

“We know... it’s just. You know Jace...”, Clary stepped forward to make a case for her boyfriend. “You know he’s one of the best New York has...”

“I don’t think so, Clary”, Alec shook his head.

“Alec, you’re letting your anger cloud your judgement...”, Clary dissed.

“I don’t trust you or Jace... to follow my orders, Clary. Being a good Shadowhunter doesn’t mean that he gets to undermine my authority... or put the city at risk by making a decision as stupid as summoning Lilith.”, Alec spelled it out for them. “I don’t trust Jace on the field right now... and I am not letting anyone I don’t trust go on missions and sabotage what’s left of the Institute’s reputation”, he shrugged. “I have a team of very capable soldiers coming in from Alicante... and I would really appreciate if you can go back to your respective duties”, he flicked his palm in the air.

Jace sighed, grabbing his girlfriend’s hand. He knew Alec wasn’t necessarily angry with him, but he was just trying to be a leader – an honest one at that. And it’s not like he was wrong. He wasn’t. Without further argument that would have tarnished his bond with his brother, Jace stepped back and retreated into the kitchen to _cook._ That’s what his job entailed now.

...

Vera’s shop reminded Magnus of the apothecary in his loft. That room was one of his favorite spaces in his old abode. It was where he had felt most in control of the powers he had and trusted them to do good to the world. Many clients had benefitted from their meetings with Magnus in that workspace and now it was just gone... and so was the loft. He was left with a black stone lined penthouse that reminded him of Edom every step of the way. Unlocking the seals around the shop, Magnus stepped his foot inside and de-glamoured the place.

The shop smelled of desiccated flesh and mold. There were cobwebs dangling down the roof and water dripping out of the crevices. Magnus scrunched his nose at the putrid smell surrounding him and covered it with his palm. Vera’s body was lying on the moldy carpet in front of him and there were worms crawling up and down her flesh. Her body was twisted in a heinous way and left to die and rot just like that. No one deserved to be left alone after their death. Vera deserved to have been respected and given a proper farewell. Having understood the floorplan of the house with the help of the pictures that Julius had taken, Magnus took a straight way to Vera’s fault which was hidden under a pile of dust and mold.

Using his fingers to get rid of the hindrance, Magnus cleared the inscriptions on the lock that sealed the door. _Annihilatio obumbratio_ was engraved on the rim of the wrought iron device. Magnus knew what it meant. It was a warning for anyone with the angel-kind to stay away from here. _Warlock dramatics._ He pressed his palm on the lock and let the tendrils of his magic flow out.

There were flashes of Vera standing by the lock and preserving memories of her meetings and Magnus focused again going further back in time. There was a time when this vault was sealed with magic. When the first magic was cast. And Vera watched as the vault was locked. It wasn’t her doing the magic. It was someone else. There was another hand that was casting the locking spell on this vault. Magnus grunted, focusing harder on the image of the other warlock.

“Iris Rouse”, he was interrupted by a voice that sounded at the door. Magnus clenched his jaw and snapped around, throwing a flame of magic at whoever it was. The flame hit Julius right in the chest and he was pushed against the wall. The warlock dropped on the ground with a loud thud.

“Do not sneak up on me like that young warlock...”, Magnus roared. His _red_ cat-eyes glowing in the afternoon sun of New York.

“My bad”, Julius hissed. He held his stomach abdomen with his palm and got up holding the wall for support. “I just wanted to tell you something...”

“What about Iris Rouse?”, Magnus moved his thumb over his fingertips, relaxing his magic.

“She’s the one who sealed the vault... not Vera.”, Julius informed. “It can be the only explanation for everything”

“Elaborate?”, Magnus arched a brow.

“Regular payments to Iris’ account have been made from Ms Vera’s bank accounts. And the sums are pretty generous – a warlock favor generous.”, he shrugged, holding out a bank statement in his hand.

“That’s a very mundane proof, don’t you think? Mundane dollars for a supernatural job. Seems ridiculous to me.”, Magnus scoffed, flipping through the pages. The truth was staring right in his face.

“When I came here, I felt the same thing you did... the magic on Vera’s vault didn’t seem like her own... but you’re the Prince of Edom and I am just a young and inexperienced warlock”, he chided. Magnus shot a curious glare at the young boy. “You can conjure up memories and visuals of what happened here... and I can’t. So, I have to go the mundane way...”, he point-blanked.

“Fair enough!”, Magnus smirked.

“Vera paid hefty amounts every month to make sure Iris had her magic up and running to the vault”, he sighed.

“If this isn’t Vera’s spell... it wouldn’t need her blood... it would need _Iris’_...”, Magnus squinted his eyes.

“That’s right... but no one has heard from her since... since the Shadowhunters took down the Heavenly Fire program”, Julius pursed his lips, placing his hands on his hips. Magnus’ lips curved into a smirk. The last he had seen of Iris – she had kidnapped the mundane version of him and tortured him for Madzie’s location.

Maybe it was time for a payback.

She deserved it.

“If it is the Shadowhunters who captured her... let’s go ask a Shadowhunter about where to find Iris...”, Magnus crumpled the bank statement in his fist and flamed it with his magic, leaving ashes to fall out of the crevices.

“As if they would tell _you_ anything”, Julius chuckled. Magnus tilted his head and noticed the mocking tone of a warlock who was centuries younger than him. Magnus hand went mid-air as his magic crawled out of his fingers – encasing Julius’ neck in a purple whip. Julius grabbed his neck – his veins poking out of his skin as he struggled to breathe. He couldn’t understand that he had upset Magnus. They were beginning to be friends... or so that young warlock had imagined in his head. It would have been particularly useful to become friends with a prince of Edom. Magnus was a royalty. He was also the most powerful Downworlder in New York.

“MAGNUS!”

Magnus’ eyes snapped open to a figure behind Julius and he redacted his magic back inside him. Julius fell to the floor, coughing and retrieving more oxygen for his lungs. “Catarina”, he whispered her best friend’s name. The warlock stood at the door with a horrified expression on her face. She was still in her nurse’s uniform and a backpack hung over one of her shoulders.

“What are you doing, Magnus?”, she gasped, opening a portal for Julius and pushing him to leave the shop. The young warlock stumbled his way through after whispering a thank you to the blue skinned warlock and the portal disappeared, leaving Magnus and Catarina in the vault. “...and what is that smell?”, she sniffed.

“Vera was murdered here two years ago... right after she summoned Asmodeus to earth...”, Magnus informed, stepping aside so that she could see the rotten corpse. Catarina sighed sadly and grabbed Magnus’ shoulder to support herself. She may not have known the dead warlock for very long but the fallen had still been a part of their world. Magnus gently let Cat’s hand slip away from his shoulder and replaced some distance between the two of them.

“What are you doing here?”, she questioned, snapping her fingers to trap the putrid smell around Vera’s body.

“Investigating the cause of death, obviously.”, Magnus deadpanned. “As the High Warlock, it’s my primal duty”, he added.

“...is that all?”, she crossed her hands on her chest.

“What do you mean?”, Magnus retorted.

“I mean... obviously, I don’t buy the whole investigation crap...”, she shrugged, running her finger on a dust-coated wooden cabinet with intricate carving on it. “You wouldn’t go to the extent of choking a warlock just to investigate the murder of another warlock you barely knew...”

“She performed dark magic, Catarina. She was the only one of her kind. Making conduits to people in other dimensions...”, Magnus lied.

“...still doesn’t explain your interest in using dark magic to torture that young boy unless you’re doing something--”

“He disrespected me...”, Magnus grunted.

“...and the punishment for that is death?”, Cat asked. “Magnus... what happened to you in Edom?”, she asked.

“Nothing”, Magnus’ eyes didn’t move from Cat and she saw how dead they were.

“I don’t believe you”

“I don’t have to make myself believable”

“Magnus you’re my friend... my _best_ friend”, she emphasized. “After Ragnor... I only have you to fall back on and I am not losing this”, she moved her fingers between the two of them.

Magnus scoffed, turning his back to his friend. He crossed his hands on his chest and laughed – bitterly and sadly.

“What?”

“Nothing at all”, Magnus jeered, holding back his anger. “I just... something crossed my mind.”, he chuckled.

“Magnus, please be honest with me”

“About _WHAT_?”

“What happened to you?”, she stepped forward and encased Magnus’ shoulder in her hands. Magnus stepped out of the hold the very second as if it felt repulsive to be so close to someone.

“I was in Edom”

“I _know_ that!”

“Then what more do you need to know, Catarina!!”, Magnus turned around and yelled. The glass walls in the shop shattered, spreading shards of broken glass and Magnus’ heart around.

“What did Asmodeus do to you? What did he tell you... why would you willingly go to your father for help?”, Catarina softened her tone and cupped his jaw. Magnus closed his eyes and clenched his jaw.

“It’s not important anymore...”, he took a deep breath.

“Magnus... you’re not yourself... this darkness isn’t you”, she sighed, stroking his jawline with her thumb. Magnus dropped his head in her hands – momentarily giving her the power over his emotions.

_No one cared if you were gone for 10 days, Magnus._

A voice inside Magnus reminded the man of those torturous ten days. He calmed himself down and opened his red eyes to his friend. “This is who I am”, he whispered, stepping out of her hold once more. “...and I apologize if that’s not up to _your_ standard”, he taunted, waving his hand dramatically.

“Magnus, please talk to me”

“You weren’t there, Cat. You didn’t care if I was gone for 10 days. The world went on with their lives like I didn’t exist... like I didn’t matter to anyone else. So, forgive me if I don’t believe the whole _I am here for you_ crap.”, Magnus accused. “...I survived on my own. I thrived on my own”, he emphasized. “I don’t need anybody else. Not you. Not my father. And certainly not that charming Shadowhunter”, he flared up his nostrils and looked away.

“Alec did this... that fucking”, Catarina fisted her hands and turned around. Magnus watched her with furrowed brows as she opened up a portal. “I am going to kill him... he isn’t going to survive”, she hissed. Magnus flicked his hand in the air and diminished the portal she had just conjured.

“You don’t need to fight my battles for me”, Magnus whispered.

“He broke your heart, Magnus”, Catarina argued.

“And I can deal with it. Myself”, Magnus emphasized. “Go back to your daughter. Leave me be”, he dropped his gaze on the floor, heaving a deep breath. “I will text you when I am ready”, the female warlock saw a hint of the old Magnus in his eyes. The one with his humanity and big heart. She nodded, understanding that he needed space and time to heal from everything.

“I’ll be there this time”, she apologized, opening up a portal again. A fire message landed in Magnus’ hand the second Catarina disappeared.

> Lilith’s disappeared. We need you – A. Lightwood

...

“I have summoned the High Warlock of Brooklyn to aid us with tracking Lilith. He should be here anytime soon.”, Alec made his way into his office with Helen Blackthorn walking next to him. She was a half-seelie by blood and he could really use her faerie connection to track the Queen of Hell.

“Lorenzo is helping you...?”

“Magnus is the new High Warlock. He replaced Lorenzo Rey”, Alec informed, holding the door open for the girl.

“Magnus is back!”, her voice reeked of happiness. “Aline didn’t tell me you guys tracked him down?”

“We didn’t... we couldn’t. He just came back. In fact, I haven’t told Aline about it. It’s all been very quick”, Alec blurted out in one go.

“Oh... I see”, she stopped at the door and looked around. “Have you changed the wards in the Institute?”, she asked, her eyes glowing and her ears twitching as she felt the leylines around her.

“I did, as a matter of fact?”, Alec scratched a brow. “...Magnus reactivated his ley lines only yesterday...!”

“Oh...?”, she furrowed her brows and walked up to the mantle over the fireplace. Placing her palm against the wall, she closed her eyes and focused on the vibrations. “The magic seems different this time...”

“Oh yeah, it’s protocol for the new High Warlock to reverberate the walls with his magic and I am sure their signatures are different...”, Alec explained, firing up his laptop to see the latest stats on Lilith.

“No that’s not it... there’s something in the magic...”

“Something?”, Alec perched a brow, pulling his seat to the edge of the table.

“Yeah... it’s interacting with the Adamas in the walls... almost fighting with the angelic energy”, she tapped her fingertips on the walls.

“Maybe it’s just getting used to the new signature”

“Are you sure this magic is ok?”, she asked, turning around to face the Shadowhunter.

“Why wouldn’t it be?”, Alec frowned.

Helen swiveled her wrist in air and pulled out a tendril of magic from the ward. “See... it’s dark magic, Alec”, she pointed at the purple tendrils with red sparks flowing out. “Adamas coupled with wards doesn’t look like this... you know it, right?”

“This is Magnus’ magic”, Alec informed. He had noticed the change in color and essence of his ex-boyfriend’s power. “I am sure it’s nothing...”, there was no way Magnus would go behind Alec’s back to do something that would harm anyone.

“I would totally talk to Magnus about it... if I were you”, she advised. “Maybe he miscalculated the spell or something... you know?”

“Magnus is a capable warlock, Helen”, Alec almost snapped. “I trust him to do the right thing”

“If you say so?”, Helen shrugged, dropping on the couch. She grabbed one of the files lying on the desk and started going through it for clues and coordinates that Lilith had left as a trail. “Don’t tell me I didn’t warn ya!”, she chirped. Alec huffed in annoyance because he was done with people blaming Magnus.

“Shadowhunters”, Magnus’ husky voice entered the room, making both Helen and Alec stand up from their seats. Helen scanned the warlock and frowned. She couldn’t place what felt so wrong about the man. “I was summoned”, he announced. Alec cleared his throat and clenched his jaw to prepare himself for yet another interaction with Magnus Bane.

“Yes... thank you for coming on such short notice.”, he started, clenching his fist behind his back. Magnus’ expressions evened, and he turned to look at Alec with nothing on his face. “We lost our track on Lilith this morning...”, Alec informed, sliding the iPad towards Magnus.

“Well”, Magnus scoffed, expecting the outcome from the very naïve group of supernatural beings that habited this place. “Who might this be?”, he pointed a finger at Helen without actually lifting up his gaze.

“Helen Blackthorn”, Alec introduced. “She’s visiting from Alicante”

“Hi. It’s really nice to meet you”, Helen stammered.

“Sure”, Magnus mumbled. “after you’re done scanning me for hostile magic.”, he called the girl out. Helen swallowed, breaking her spell from Magnus and horrifically looked at Alec who was glaring at her with anger.

“I was just...”

“No explanations required”, Magnus muttered, swiping his thumb up and down the screen. “You’re a Shadowhunter. It’s what you do.”. Alec felt that hit on a personal level as he asked Helen to leave them alone. Helen nodded, walking out of Alec’s office and closing the door behind them.

“I apologize for Helen’s behavior, Magnus”

Magnus waved his hand in air, stopping Alec from completing his apology. Alec gulped, his words dying down in his breath. “So... what are your plans with the Queen of Hell... provided I track her down for you...?”, he asked, perching his chin to look at Alec for the first time since he arrived.

“We want to banish her back to Edom before she executes whatever she has on her mind...”, Alec deadpanned.

“And that would be easy because...?”

“Isabelle has done some changes and modified the Malachi configuration. We can banish Lilith to Edom and restore balance...”

“Is that what Lilith’s threatening? Disturbing this world’s balance?”, Magnus argued. “Isabelle made changes to the configuration to allow demons and anyone with demonic blood to be tortured. Very exhilarating to hear that”, Magnus continued. Alec paled at the accusation and looked away – having no words to justify what Isabelle had done. He placed the iPad on the table and pulled out a chair for him, gesturing Alec to take a seat as well.

“She’s threatening assaults on mundanes, Magnus”, Alec placed his elbows on the table and leaned forward.

“Has she killed anyone?”

“No, but she...”

“How do you know she’s not just touristing the world...?”, Magnus squinted.

“Magnus why are you defending her?”, Alec gasped. “She’s the one who used you to cast a dark spell on Jace years ago...”

“I am not defending Lilith, Alec”, Magnus deadpanned. “I am trying to understand what your gain is in all this...”

“My _gain?_ ”, Alec froze. “I don’t have a gain Magnus... I just...”

“You’re trying to make sure angel blood prevails... like always”, Magnus interrupted him with poison in his voice. “...and the other part may go to hell for all you care?”

“That’s not... Lilith is a dangerous woman”

“I know... but so was Valentine...”

“...and we killed him...?”, Alec was stumped.

“...after actually letting him slaughter downworlders twice”, Magnus hissed. Alec recalled the events of the uprising that he had only ever read about and then the time when thousands of downworlders were killed when Jace accidentally activated the Soul Sword in the Institute.

“Why are you comparing the two...?”, Alec swallowed.

“I am not. I am just... I don’t know if I should help the Shadowhunters”, Magnus shrugged. He was rubbing his knuckles with his thumb.

“Magnus, you’d be helping the mundanes too”

“Alec”, Magnus paused. “You don’t get it... do you?”

“Get what??”

“Fine. I’ll help you track Lilith. But on one condition”

“Whatever you want?”

“I need you... or someone to let me in on every detail of that mission. I hate Lilith with every ounce of my soul, but I wouldn’t let anyone torture demon blood just because they can, you know? Shadowhunters have been known to torture innocent Downworlders under the pretense of hunting demons...”, Magnus demanded as a matter-of-factly.

“You have my word”

“You don’t want to think about it?”

“I trust you.”, Alec whispered as if it was the most honest truth he believed in. Magnus’ eyes landed on his ex-boyfriend. Those hazels were staring at him with ultimate honesty and _love?_ He shook his gaze away before he could read anything in those eyes that would have shaken him from his mission.

“Fine. I will let you know my decision”, Magnus stood up, adjusting the lapels of his leather jacket.

“Thank you”, Alec lips curved slightly. Magnus pulled his phone out and saw a simple text alert from Julius.

 

> The Shadowhunters keep blood samples of all their prisoners in a secure facility in Idris. Somewhere in the heart of Broselind Forests. We might get a few vials of Iris’ blood from there. – Julius.

 

Breaking into Idris to steal vials of a prisoner’s blood was a difficult task. It was also capable of putting Alec’s reputation at risk because he was heading the local institute where the perpetrator lived. Magnus looked up from his phone and saw Alec looking down at his own. It was ringing.

“Matt?”, the man answered, picking up instantly. The color in Magnus’ eyes and the calmness that he was feeling on his fingertips were all replaced by the storm of Edom. “Hey, you alright?”, Alec’s calm and comforting voice rang in his ears like a painful screech of a Ravenor demon in Edom. He looked over his shoulder at the main door and walked out of the office – heading into a portal that opened in the corridor.

He heard Alec’s voice behind him calling his name, but it was too late to care.

...

The enchanted scroll hung on the nightstand. Magnus could see a few more names added to the list. He walked out of the portal and grabbed the lower end of the paper, pulling it up to his vision. There was a name appearing against 5:43pm time-slot. Magnus’ pupils widened as the name fully carved into existence.

_Alexander_

Alexander was a pretty common name in Manhattan.

_Gideon._

Magnus swallowed as he waited for the last name to appear.

_Lightwood._

He closed his eyes and tilted his chin up in the air.

 

_“Will you be joining us?”, suddenly Magnus was transported to that dreadful Halloween evening in 2019 when Alec had suggested that Magnus should help his mother decorate her new shop._

_“Maybe later... I have a meeting I can’t miss...”, Alec had told Magnus._

_“With who?”, Magnus recalled questioning his then boyfriend. For a moment he had noticed the color on Alec’s face vanish. But Magnus had been too exhausted from his breakdown the night earlier to really ‘notice’ it._

_“Clave business?”, Alec had waved it off._

Magnus snapped his eyes open and found a shattered glass window in front of him. Alec had gone to meet Vera that day and lied to Magnus about it. He was now sure, more than ever that he needed to break into the facility and get Iris’ blood from the warlock herself or the stored sample.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the hunt for Lilith begins...

[ **Edom** ]

_Magnus’ room in Asmodeus’ castle was the same one he had used when he was a little boy. It was the lone one at the top of a tower than stood the tallest above the entirety of the building – like in a dark fairytale. When he looked out of the window, he could see Edomai demons flying around – casting fireballs out of their mouth. A died out sun and burnt plants and scrubs in a barren red-sandy plain – there was nothing that screamed life or hope. That’s what Magnus' life had come down to._

_He had a father he didn’t love._

_He was in love with a Shadowhunter who had stopped reciprocating his feelings._

_He had his spark back but without Alec Lightwood by his side._

_In the centuries of his existence, Magnus had never felt so strongly and so deeply for anyone the way he felt for Alec. Lovers had come and gone – some had broken Magnus' heart and others had used him. But none had commanded such love out of him. The way Alec had done. Ever since they had first met, Alec had shown him fierce loyalty and honesty which had gradually turned into a strong sense of liking and then a deep love. If Magnus were to recall – he wouldn’t be able to pinpoint that moment when he had fallen for Alec. There seemed to be a flood of memories surrounding the feeling. Maybe he had fallen in love with him at the first sight... and only gone deeper and deeper as they drew close. Alec had given him every happiness he could and then taken it all away without an explanation._

_Standing in the balcony and overlooking his dark kingdom, Magnus sometimes wondered what life would have been like if Alec had spoken to him after their breakup. If he could have done anything to rekindle what once had been between them. If there was a possibility that they stood another chance. Maybe he could have really coaxed Alec into a dialogue. Maybe they could have talked it out._

_Or just if Alec and Magnus had gone through that dinner that Magnus had planned for the night they had broken up. The one that got cold in Maryse's shop. They would have kissed each other good night after that, cuddled in the same duvet of Alec's bed that Magnus had almost gotten used to. Perhaps they would have made love – declared their emotions for each other between the soft kisses they left on their boyfriend’s skin. Alec would have buried his head in the crook of Magnus’ neck, the way he often liked, and the warlock would have played with the soft hair at the back of his boyfriend’s head until they had fallen asleep. Slowly and steadily, Magnus would have gotten used to living life as a mundane. Gradually, he would have adapted to the idea of growing old. By Alec’s side. In his arms. It wouldn’t have been so bad._

_Only if that dinner had gone the way it should have…_

_But those were a whole lot of if’s that Magnus hadn’t gotten the time to dwell upon. The reality was far from his dreams. He and Alec were realms apart, physically and emotionally._

_Meeting Lilith outside Asmodeus' palace that day had given him a lot of perspective. He had desperately tried to locate his Omamori charm after he had come back to his room that day, but he had failed. There was no sign of it ever even being there. His most adored possession had disappeared like Alec’s love for him. Maybe he had dropped it somewhere in Maryse's apartment that night. Maybe it hadn’t been here all along and he just missed the essence of it._

_“Magnus, my boy. It’s time for a morning stroll...”, he heard his father’s voice echo from the stairwell in the tower and he scoffed. What was morning and evening in this dead place! The demons had snuffed out brightness from sunlight itself. Nothing ever happened in this realm. It was just toxic all the time._

_For lack of a better plan, Magnus was about to go down and join his father when he saw something shining in one corner of the wall. Curious about the source of the sparkle, Magnus approached the wall and felt that one of the bricks had been pulled out from the cement bock. He didn’t remember this state of the wall until a few days ago. It was the one wall that he focused on every time he went to sleep._

_Pushing his hand through the hollow left by the brick, Magnus felt a rough object touch his skin. He pulled it out and gasped at what it was. It was his charm. The red color had been destroyed by charring half-way through and the gold tendrils now looked lifeless. Magnus sniffed away his tear and pressed the charm to his chest. The one thing that he had of Alec's. << There was brief flash of a memory where he saw his own self throw the charm into the fire and then pull it back before it burnt completely >> Magnus gasped and dropped the charm on the ground. He had himself burnt this beautiful gift._

_Stuffing the charm back in his pocket, Magnus headed out to clear his head. He could hear Lilith warning him about Asmodeus' mind games. He had to be absolutely careful from now on. The staircase was weirdly crowded this time as he walked down. He lit the lamps on the way with his magic and saw death. There were corpses of Seelies and Nephilim from Edom lying on the edges of the stairs. There were ashes from dead Raveners and Edomai soldiers and Magnus just couldn’t remember if he had been the one to put these innocent creatures down or they had always been there. Before procuring the charm again, he had not noticed these dead bodies in the tower that was now his home, and his mind reeled at the possibility of Asmodeus and his tricks._

_“Please tell me I didn’t kill these innocent creatures...”, Magnus muttered to himself, making his way down to join his father. Asmodeus was sitting on a stone throne, waiting for his son to join him._

_“Look at you. You are enjoying your time in your true home. I like it... I like this new you...”, Asmodeus scanned him from top to bottom. Magnus narrowed his brows in confusion and then turned to look at the mirror to see what was Asmodeus talking about. His usual spiked up hair had been replaced by a side-swept deep undercut. The fringe almost covered his entire right eye and were streaked with dark shades of red and purple. Magnus stepped forward to have a closer look. He didn’t remember making so many changes to his looks – not consciously anyway. There were new claw rings on his right thumb and index finger and a couple of finger chains that just enhanced the beauty of his caramel skin which looked really dull in the red-hue of the Edomai sun. Magnus lifted his hand and felt a brow ring on his left brow. It was diamond studded and the piercing didn’t hurt him. It had been done quite a while ago._

_“Who did this?”, Magnus grunted, turning to face his father._

_“You did… my boy! Don’t you remember? You were thrilled to erase the old Magnus Bane from your life”, Asmodeus smirked as if he was enjoying this state of oblivion that Magnus was experiencing off and on. Magnus slyly pushed his hand in his pocket and found his charm. He knew he could count on that to be truthful to him. << There was a vision of him destroying every last bit of the old Magnus Bane and growling at how much he hated himself for having submitted to the emotions of his half-demon existence. There was a snap as he changed his looks and became this darker version of himself that he didn’t recognize >> Magnus pulled his hand out and shook his pupils. He had to do something before this darkness consumed him._

…

Magnus licked his pinky finger that had been swirling martini in the glass. He hadn’t gotten a chance to tell Alec about his decision on whether he would help the Shadowhunters in tracking Lilith or not. The whole situation was chaotic and messy as it is and with Alec's name appearing in the list of people that Vera had met the day she died had made it worse for the warlock. He had received a text this morning from Julius informing that Iris Rouse had been killed two years ago on the same day when Isabelle Lightwood had taken down the Heavenly Fire program. There was not much that Julius had managed to find out about that mission except that it was sanctioned by Alec Lightwood. If his memories were correct, this was the same day that he had a drunken breakdown in Alec’s office.

There was no way Alec would have summoned Asmodeus to earth to betray Magnus. Even with his present feelings for his ex-boyfriend, Magnus trusted the Lightwood boy enough. He was a soldier and an honest one at that. But that didn’t mean he hadn’t lied to Magnus about it. Although, speaking to Asmodeus was something Magnus couldn’t understand. What would have Alec wanted to talk to his father about? There was nothing Asmodeus could offer the Nephilim regarding Jonathan Morgenstern – the problem the Institute was then battling.

A persistent knock on the door made Magnus finally snap his fingers and let the guest in, without so much so as turning his head to see who it had been. “Magnus”, he heard his Shadowhunter’s deep voice from the door. Magnus’ lids parted, and he looked over his shoulder. Alec stood at the door, holding his bow in his hand. There was a quiver strapped to his chest and a thigh-holster holding his seraph blades.

“You’ve been out on the field?”, Magnus commented, beckoning Alec to come inside his new home. Which could have easily been _theirs._ Alec clanked his boots inside and stopped at the edge of the carpet – making sure there was a comfortable distance between the two.

“Have you made up your mind?”, he asked.

“About what?”, Magnus mused. He summoned a glass of martini and held it out for the Shadowhunter who politely refused the drink.

“About helping us track Lilith and send her back to Edom?”, Alec seemed all business and no-play which only disappointed Magnus.

Magnus turned around and closed his eyes. Often in his long and unending life he had conspired against soldiers of the Clave – tricked them for his own benefit but he had never had second thoughts doing it – until today. This could have been yet another mission for him and he just had to trick Alec and the New York Institute into letting him come to Alicante with them. The rest was a snap and grab task that he could have done in his sleep. But going behind Alec’s back – who, by the way, was one of the most skilled Shadowhunters Magnus had had the pleasure of running into, seemed like an awkward task.

He didn’t _want_ to betray Alec.

He didn’t want to put Alec in a position where the Consul would question him for his loyalty. Despite Magnus’ issues with the man, he couldn’t deny that Alec was one of the best Shadowhunters that the Clave had ever produced, and his compassion was the one few things saving New York Institute from completely falling apart and into the hands of the corrupt Clave. He was a different kind of a leader – compassionate and empathetic and yet, fearless. What if this whole ordeal backfired on the man? What if the Clave blamed Alec for everything? He could expect the Clave to be this disrespectful and unjust and maybe he should...

And he also found it strange that after all Alec had done to shatter his heart and leave him stranded for his father to find him, he still felt so protective about the Nephilim. Maybe Asmodeus was right in one thing. Alec was his weakness.

Magnus shook his head and focused on the matter at hand. Right now, he needed to get to the bottom of Asmodeus’ descent on this realm and events that had followed. There was no other way he could have avenged the time he had lost in that dreadful dark realm of Edom.

“As a matter of fact, I will”, Magnus found himself replying, robotically.

Alec relaxed in his position and nodded. “Thank you”, he whispered.

“I have a condition though?”, Magnus spun on his heels to face Alec. There was something very stressed about the way the Shadowhunter was standing like. Magnus scanned the man from head to toe – hoping he wouldn’t see anything that would remind him that there was another person involved in this dynamic. A certain guy name Matt who Alec supposedly met every time he felt like the world was closing in on him. Magnus used to be that person for Alec. He was the solitude that Alec had once needed.

“Another one?”, Alec swallowed. A scoff escaped Magnus’ lips when he recalled he had already used his quota of conditions and yet, Alec was willing to listen for more.

“I will join you in this mission”, he tilted his head. “...wherever I track Lilith to?”, he shrugged.

Alec licked his bottom lip and looked to his side, thinking and pondering. “Fine”, he said a second later. “...only as long as it is safe for you.”, Alec added.

“I am not a soldier of yours, Alexan- _Alec_ ”, Magnus cleared his throat, closing his eyes at the mistake. Alec’s jaw clenched, and he closed his eyes too. “You don’t need to worry about my safety! That is not your concern.”, he worded it out to the man. There was a silent _anymore_ at the end of the sentence and Magnus carefully left out.

“Lilith is a problem that _my_ family summoned to this world again, Magnus”, Alec argued. “…that makes it my problem.”

Magnus’ breath hitched in his throat. Technically, he had made sure Jace and Clary would summon Lilith so that he could have gotten a way out as well. “I can take care of myself”, he repeated anyway. “Now... I will pay your office a visit once I have something. Is that ok?”, he asked. Alec understood that Magnus meant him to be gone from his apartment and he just hummed, making his way out.

...

“Alec, you know it’s dangerous. We don’t know what Lilith wants and Magnus is Asmodeus’ son. She hates Asmodeus... and Magnus more so...”, Isabelle emphasized. “...if we take Magnus with us, we risk both his life and this mission. And if we’re not able to banish her, she will threaten to kill mundanes... not to forget, we don’t know what she might do to Magnus just because she despises his father...”

“I know... Isabelle but Magnus laid out his terms and we need his magic. He’s the _most_ powerful warlock around and without him, we cannot track Lilith”, Alec swiped his thumb across the comms screen and the blueprint of New York projected out in a 3-dimension. There were no new location scans from Lilith. “He promised that he would be out of danger”, Alec scratched his stubbled jaw and sighed. “Besides... I don’t think we have a choice...”

“This is all on us... we should have thought about this”, Isabelle rubbed her temple and slumped her shoulders apologetically.

“Which is why _we_ have to be the one who stop it...”, Alec looked over his shoulder to take a glance at his sister.

“There’s also something I need to talk to you about...”, she leaned closer – almost whispering to her brother. “Can we talk in your office?”, she tilted her head. Alec flicked his hand to hand over the comms to Underhill and followed his sister back to his office, shutting the door behind them. “Helen told me about the breach she felt in the Institute wards. According to her, it was a welcome ground for a demonic invasion...”, she arched a brow.

Alec threw his head back, sighing. “I’ve been over this with her. As much as I appreciate her instincts... I don’t like where this is going. _Magnus_ cannot betray us like that. He wouldn’t do anything to risk any innocent life...”

“I am not saying Magnus would... but we cannot ignore what’s going on with the wards. Maybe Magnus didn’t even know what happened and someone else did it…”, she argued – opening a channel of the Institute map in front of her.

“Fine… do what you can to figure out what is wrong but…”, he leaned closer. “... this stays between you and me _only_. I can’t let anyone in the Institute get a whiff about this or else people will start blaming Magnus…”, he warned. Isabelle bit her lip and then nodded, pushing the maps away.

“I hear you. I’ll work on this alone”, she confirmed her brother. “I don’t want to blame Magnus anymore than you do, Alec. Trust me”, she insisted. Alec knew that Isabelle was one of the last people he could have ever blamed for going against Magnus. She had practically pushed him to open to up to his feelings for the man once upon a time, but he was in no mood to take any chances.

“You don’t get it, Isabelle”, Alec rubbed his temple and turned his back to his sister. “Magnus has lost everything in his life because of his association with the Institute…with _me_ ”, he huffed out a breath, admitting the truth painfully. “every time _we_ have run into a problem, we selfishly asked him for help and he did…out of the goodness of his heart. So much so that he fucking gave his magic away to his father in return for _my_ Parabatai's life!”, Alec banged his fist on the mantle. “…and it broke him, Isabelle. Losing his magic broke him.”, he closed his eyes fighting the tears that were burning to come out. “I am done being the reason for all his miseries. He deserves better than us… better than me!”, Alec sniffled. “Consider it a warning Isabelle – no harm comes to Magnus Bane. Not from the Shadowhunter kind. We owe that to him”, he turned around and pointed his index at his sister who merely nodded.

They were interrupted by Magnus who obliged himself into the office without even a knock at the door. Alec and Isabelle straightened themselves, hoping that the warlock hadn’t heard what they were talking about in the first place. “Good news, Shadowhunters. I know where Lilith's hiding”, he winked, smirking softly.

Alec and Isabelle leaned forward, widening their eyes. “Broselind Forests. Alicante. She’s taken shelter in the City of Glass. Very _Valentine_ of her.”, he announced, rubbing his fingertips together. “We might have to act on it soon. I won’t be able to track her if she moves again because I’ve lost the element of surprise”

“Right. Good job.”, Alec cleared his throat. He pulled out his phone and a minute or two later, a board of Shadowhunters assemble in his office. Magnus took his chance and retreated into the balcony to get some fresh air and be away from all this Nephilim energy. “Underhill, Aline, Helen”, Alec called. “Suit up. We are heading to Alicante. Our intel suggests that Lilith's hiding in the Broselind Forests”, he informed. The said individuals take leave to get themselves ready. “Jace, I am leaving you and Isabelle in-charge of this Institute. Don’t let it fall when I am gone”, Alec lifted his hands to his hips and tipped his chin.

“You got it”, Jace nodded.

“Dismissed. I need to make a call to Jia and let her know that Magnus Bane would be joining us on the mission”, he muttered.

...

The Shadowhunters and Magnus portaled into the heart of the Broselind Forests – in front of the north-east entrance of the Gard. Jia Penhallow, the Clave Consul, stood with her guards, waiting to welcome them. She wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of a Downworlder entering the sacred grounds of the angelic city, but she had no choice. He was the only one with coordinates of Lilith’s position. Besides, with Alec Lightwood’s track record in keeping the Shadow World safe from Greater Demon invasions, she couldn’t risk going against something that he so firmly believed in. The Council would have interrogated her if she did.

“Mr Lightwood, you need to know that I am allowing Magnus Bane on this mission _only_ because you and my daughter are certain that he would be of help”, she whispered in a tone that was snarky as well as rude. Magnus glared at her – astonished at her audacity of speaking in front of the prince of Edom. Not a lot of creatures in the world ever dared to do that. He felt his magic bubbling inside him and eyes turning into a deeper shade of red every time Jia Penhallow opened her mouth. One snap of his fingers and Jia would be reduced to ashes. The entire Alicante would. But, he was here for the vials of Iris’ blood. And nothing else.

“I understand, Consul Penhallow...”, Aline folded her hands behind her back and spoke to her mother formally – something that Magnus never understood. He had seen Alec speak to Maryse the same way while she was still a Shadowhunter and it had perplexed him. The warlock clenched his jaw and rubbed his fingertips together, sparks of red magic flowing out of him. “But Mr Bane’s input is absolutely vital to this mission. We cannot go ahead without his brilliant expertise...”, she tipped her chin. Helen took a deep breath and nodded, even though her observations were telling her something else. She could feel something off about the High Warlock of Brooklyn and in her defense, she had warned Alec about it. Magnus uncurled his fingers as a ball of purple magic started assembling in his palm.

“Consul, without Magnus by our side, we cannot track Lilith and banish her back to Edom”, Alec continued. Magnus heard the Shadowhunter’s voice and something snapped inside him. The purple flames of his magic changed their color into a fierce shade of blue which started diluting and his anger faded away like it hadn’t been there all along. “We need him”, he assured.

“Fine. But he cannot enter the city. The towers won’t allow it”, Jia warned.

“Then we won’t enter the city either”, Alec retorted immediately as if that could have been the only answer. “We won’t _need_ to, anyways”, Alec retorted.

 _We..._ Magnus thought. _Us._ He closed his eyes as they watered. Why was Alec Lightwood defending him like that? He was much capable of doing it himself. “Thank you, Alec but I don’t think I need you to speak on my behalf”, Magnus found himself speaking as he stepped forward, brushing his shoulders with the Shadowhunter. Alec looked away and shifted to his side to maintain the distance between them. “I am not the one who needs you, Jia Penhallow”, Magnus tilted his head. “You. Need. Me”, he added as if it wasn’t already clear to the Clave Consul. Jia frowned, noticing the red veins of magic clouding Magnus’ eyes and she had to glance at Alec who simply nodded, giving Magnus his unwavering support.

“Mr Bane”, Jia leaned forward.

“Ms Penhallow”, Magnus retorted, leaning forward. Alec’s eyes darted to Magnus’ fingers and he saw what no one else probably did. There were sparks of dark magic crackling on his ex-boyfriend’s skin. He looked around horrifically, hoping no one else has noticed this and then, instinctively, placed himself between the two leaders, curling his arm around Magnus and pushing him slightly behind him – shielding him from exposing himself to the Clave.

Magnus gaze flickered as the last bits of the dark magic disappeared from his eyes as soon as he felt Alec’s hand wound around his body, pushing him behind. He choked his breath, unable to take in the familiar scent of his ex-boyfriend without risking something inside him breaking into pieces all over again. _Fuck you, Alec Lightwood._ He looked away, closing his eyes, forcefully making himself recall the sharp cries of demons and lost souls in Edom. The fire inside him – the hatred – it couldn’t have dissipated now. Not before he had avenged himself.

“I think we’ve established that Magnus’ presence is vital for this mission.”, Alec raised his palm, arching his brow to prove his point. Jia squinted her eyes to glare at the Downworld leader and then nodded, stepping aside. Her security detail retreated from the scene and took their place in front of the entrance.

“Very well. You may go now. But Lightwood, I do expect a detailed report of your conquests on my desk tomorrow morning...”, Jia nodded. Magnus’ phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out. There was a text from Julius.

 

 

> _Plan was a success, Mr Bane. Will keep you updated._

 

His lips curved into a lopsided grin and he shoved his phone back in his pocket, maintaining the calm demeanor for his audience.

“Ok then... let’s split up”, Alec ordered. “Aline, Helen and Underhill, you guys cover the southern and eastern entrances and Magnus and I will check the northern and western. Keep me updated at all times... and if you run into her, do not engage until we’re all in position. She is dangerous”, Magnus pursed his lips as he felt a little guilt for misguiding the Nephilim into thinking Lilith had been here when she wasn’t. He had no idea where the Queen of Hell was.

The Shadowhunters nodded and scattered in the directions that Alec had instructed them too. He himself pulled his blade out and hopped into the muddy forest floor with Magnus already a few feet ahead of him, heading to a well-thought of location. Alec’s phone buzzed with a text from Jace as soon as he caught up with the warlock.

 

> _There’s been a breach at the Institute. We’re investigating what’s been taken. Will keep you updated._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> do you guys want to use a hashtag for Twitter? I am not sure if you want to... but if you do live-tweet, you can use #MFADfic   
> And you can totally not use it. Depends on you guys.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> malec on a mission

“I do apologize for Consul Penhallow’s harsh words... no matter how hard we try, the generation above us is never going to open their minds up to change”, Alec skipped over the rocks, catching up to Magnus in the dense woods of the Broselind Forests. Magnus licked his lips and hummed, not bothering to look at the Shadowhunter while making a conversation with the man. The facility that stored Downworld blood samples among other evidences was over 3 miles up north from where they were and with Alec on his heels, Magnus had no idea how he would have broken into that building without anyone finding out.

“Don’t care, Alec”, Magnus muttered.

“I still would like to apologize anyways”, Alec swallowed, tightening his grip around the hilt of his seraph blade. He didn’t want to admit that he was affected by the way Magnus had stopped looking at him altogether. When they met, there was a hostility that Alec couldn’t shake. To add to that, Magnus would never make eye contact with him. He couldn’t honestly remember the last time Magnus had _seen_ him. It seemed like forever ago.

“That’s entirely your choice. I stand by what I just said earlier...”, the warlock shrugged. Darkness was growing in the forest every minute as sunlight gradually disappeared, blending into dusk. It was getting increasingly difficult to navigate through the dark terrains of these forests with visibility close to zero. Alec activated his _Nyx_ rune on his arm while Magnus just summoned a ball of illuminus to help them guide through the thick undergrowth.

The forest was unusually quiet at this hour and Alec couldn’t guess why. They had been walking for almost over an hour and there had been no development in the forests. They hadn’t encountered any feral animals or even just birds. There were no sounds except for leaves rustling in the winds and there should have been. These forests had been a breeding ground for angelic creatures. The Shadowhunter stopped in his tracks as soon as he sensed a putrid smell in the air. And Alec knew exactly what it could have been. He had spent many dark nights scouring the dearth of these forests as a child to recognize a planned attack when he saw one.

With a quick movement of his feet, Alec reached Magnus and grabbed his arm, pushing the both of them in the curve of a large tree trunk – trapping the warlock between his arms. They were very skillfully hidden in the trunk and Alec’s scent would have masked Magnus’ with the way he had embraced the warlock. Magnus widened his eyes and hissed in fury – his eyes flickering between his cat eyes and the red flames. “Alec, what on earth are you doing? Step back right now...”, he roared. Alec clenched his jaw and pressed his index finger on Magnus’ lips, hushing him to stop talking. Coming so close to Magnus after all this while wasn’t easy – but this was about their safety.

“We’re being followed...”, Alec whispered. He raised his free hand to his ear and gestured Magnus to _listen._ There was nothing but silence around him. No birds chirping. No distant animal sounds until – the warlock swallowed as he locked his eyes with the Shadowhunter. In a distant space, he heard the sound of crushing of leaves and stem under the claws of... _an animal?_ Alec’s eyes were darting around them, trying to pick up whatever hint he could. One of his hands were still pressed on Magnus’ mouth and the other, the one holding the seraph blade, was pressed on the tree trunk encasing Magnus between them.

Magnus looked up slightly. Alec’s hazels were shining in the light of the setting sun. He was breathing through his mouth, alert and attentive, and his chapped lips were red and bruised. His jawline – once prominently shaped was covered with a thick stubble that was almost shoved his block rune into non-existence.  The warlock swallowed the lump in his throat and struggled to keep his eyes off of his ex-boyfriend. Alec still wore the same cologne two years later and the intoxication that Magnus had felt when they were still together.

“Werewolves. Broselind Wolves”, Alec whispered, clasping his blade and readying himself for combat. “...there’s a whole pack out to hunt... if not a congregation... Can you hear them?”, he observed. Magnus gently pushed Alec’s finger off his mouth and took a deep breath, realizing that he had been holding it for so long. He simply nodded, looking over Alec’s shoulders.

“They cannot be _my_ enemy at least. I am demon blooded, just like them...”, Magnus tousled in Alec’s grasp, raising his hands in air to summon his magic to aid Alec in the potential battle. He turned around, facing his back to Alec, and darted his eyes to assess where and how they were hiding.

“If they’re a part of Jia’s security detail, they _might_ as well be...”, Alec holstered his blade and pulled his bow out.

“Jia Penhallow has a wolf pack under her command?”, Magnus arched a brow, turning around to face the Shadowhunter. That was something he didn’t know. Must have been a recent development. “Good to know”, Magnus rasped.

“After Jonathan’s invasion... the Clave deemed it necessary that it was easier to work with Downworld instead of-”, Alec began telling the warlock. Magnus waved his hand in air, gesturing the boy to stop. He really didn’t care. Alec shut his mouth, uttering a soft apology and turned his back to Magnus to give them a better ground to cover. They pressed their backs on to each other and rotated around, hoping to spot where the feral animals might attack from. The pack had been clever enough to keep themselves in hiding but now they had lost the element of surprise, thanks to Alec’s very capable instincts. “You can portal back, Magnus. You don’t have to stay here and risk your life...”, Alec whispered.

Magnus furrowed his brows, glancing over his shoulder in disbelief. “What? Do you take me to be a runaway coward?”, he snarled.

Alec adjusted the bow in air, stretching an arrow in position. “I don’t...you’re anything but a coward. I just... you don’t have to put yourself through this”, Alec stuttered, not daring to bring his gaze anywhere close to Magnus.

“Again, Alec Lightwood... it’s not your choice to make. I am here on this mission because I want to be...”, Magnus whispered, swirling his hands in air as his eyes darted to the farthest limits of his vision. “ _Besides..._ I want Lilith gone from this realm as much as you do...”

Alec closed his eyes, shaking his head. This was the Magnus he had always known and been in love with. The one who always thought about choosing the greater good over himself. The one who hadn’t given two seconds before giving up his magic for Alec’s Parabatai. And then there were Isabelle and Helen, hellbent on proving otherwise. On proving that Magnus was planning something behind Alec’s back. Something that was dangerous and lethal to Alec’s kind. Magnus could never hurt people in his sleep. He knew he trusted the warlock and felt guilty for that millisecond if his trust had ever wavered. “I know... I just... this isn’t your fight...”

“Alec, we can talk about this once we’re out of danger... or _not_ talk about it altogether.”, Magnus gritted his teeth. He didn’t want to talk with Alec. Not now. Not ever. “I sense Lilith’s demonic energy almost 3 miles up north... we should head up soon”, he pointed with his chin.

“That’s the Clave’s Biobank up there...!”, Alec swallowed.

The color on Magnus’ skin paled. “Is it?”, he feigned his lack of knowledge and disinterest. He should have expected this. Alec was a very good soldier and an even better Shadowhunter. And he had grown up in this city and this world. Obviously, he would know the city like the back of his hand.

“How do you know?”, Magnus gasped.

“My father...”, Alec clenched his jaw at the mention of Robert Lightwood. “He’s the person in-charge of the safety and security of the facility... after Mom’s de-runing and everything...”, the man informed, shrugging to relieve the tension on his shoulders. They had slowly begun their journey in the direction Magnus had suggested with their backs to each other and slowly rotating to cover all possible directions of attack.

 _Of course._ Magnus swore under his breath. He not only had to betray Alec but also his father.

“I see them...”, Alec whispered. Magnus snapped up alerting his senses.

“Where?”, Magnus gasped, attentively.

“Right behind that bush fence. About 100 yards from here... look... they’re crouching – waiting to attack...”, he turned them around, so Magnus could have a clearer view of their assailants.

“I see them too. There’s about 11 of them... at least in that direction but they could be hiding all around us”, Magnus nodded. “Let me portal us both out of here... we don’t need to deal with them tonight...”, he swirled his hand in the air to make a portal when Alec stopped him.

“You need to save your strength. We’re going against Lilith, Magnus. You need your magic.”, Alec grabbed his wrist and stopped him from going through with the spell. Magnus closed his eyes and gently pulled his hand away.

Being so close to Alec had been a stupid idea to begin with. _He shouldn’t have expected otherwise, in all fairness_. He had never spoken to the man after their breakup and they still seemed to have unresolved feelings for each other. Or Magnus had. Alec had just casually moved on with ‘Matt’.  They had a more complicated history together than an estranged Hollywood couple on the outs. And Magnus couldn’t have afforded to lose his focus now. They were in the heart of the angelic City of Glass – searching for the Queen of Hell who was far away from here anyway. Magnus held his breath with Alec pressed so close to him and boring his beautiful eyes straight into his own. He could feel himself returning.

The _old_ him returning.

The man Magnus had fought hard in the last 10 days to bury inside him for the rest of his immortal life. It was so easy to get lost in the idea of love when Alec looked at him like that. Like he had hung the stars in the sky. But Magnus knew it was all false. Alec had stopped loving him for years now.

The seconds that Alec distracted himself were enough for things to get out of control. A big wolf, possibly the Alpha of one of the packs howled, jumping out of his crouching position and made its way towards Alec. Magnus looked over the Shadowhunter’s shoulder and widened his eyes at the incoming danger. There was no time to summon magic enough to protect the Shadowhunter. He grabbed Alec’s shoulder and pulled them out of the wolf’s way, using his other hand to summon magic that he launched at the animal – banishing it away into nothingness. Him and Alec landed on the base of a tree with Alec’s hand around Magnus’ shoulder preventing him from falling directly on the mud and hurting himself.

He grunted in pain as a protruding root hit his arm and immediately steadied himself, holding his bow in position. Magnus shut his eyes realizing that Alec Lightwood had just saved him again. _Why was he making life difficult for the warlock? Why couldn’t he just have let Magnus hate him?_ The wolves appeared – their golden-yellow eyes shining from every possible direction. Magnus and Alec were surrounded. It was either survive or die trying. The Shadowhunter gently pushed Magnus behind him – his protective instincts kicking in. “We don’t have to kill them...”, Alec whispered as he saw Magnus summon a round of his purple lethal magic.

“ _They’ll_ kill us if we don’t!”, Magnus argued.

“What if they just want to distract us?”, Alec shrugged. His arrows were ready to leave his quiver. Magnus clenched his jaw – summoning the hellfire from Edom. The rage in his eyes grew.

“Magnus, stop. Save your strength. You need to go warn the others... and the mission...”, Alec groped behind, bringing Magnus out his trance. His hand twitched in pain as a jolt of electricity hit him as soon as he touched Magnus’ skin. The warlock slammed his eyes open and gasped.

“Alec”, he yelled.

“You need to leave. I’ll hold them off”, Alec repeated.

“What?”, Magnus furrowed his brows.

“Aline and Helen... they’re very capable Shadowhunters. Take them up north with you... and I’ll hold these wolves back. When you find Lilith, you trap her... banish her back to Edom...”, Alec launched 5 arrows that burst into a round of smoke as soon as they hit the ground in front of the wolves – making the animals step back. The smoke was laden with toxic gas.

“No.”, Magnus stubbornly answered.

“You _need_ to go, Magnus. Lilith’s more important than this”

“They are too many for you to handle alone. You don’t even have enough arrows in your quiver”, an unknown fear gripped Magnus. A guilt. A pang in his chest. There were 27 wolves in front of them – dripping with saliva. They were out for blood and Alec was claiming that he could hold them off.

“I can take them”, Alec repeated. Magnus closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Now wouldn’t be a great time to develop an ego, Alec”, Magnus spat.

“The mission supersedes everything. My family let Lilith lose in this world. I owe it to the world to bear the repercussions”, Alec shrugged.

...

_“This is Magnus. He is my son...”. Asmodeus pointed at Magnus who was seated on a throne next to his father. Three Nephilim native to Edom were on their knees, their hands tied up with a magical whip behind their backs._

_“They were planning a rebellion behind our backs...”, the Greater Demon smirked. Magnus tilted his heads and watched the angel blooded warriors struggle for their lives. One of them was taller than the other two and he had strikingly different raven-colored hair. There was a block rune on his collarbone and Magnus could see the edges peeking out of his uniform. It reminded him of Alec. But this Shadowhunter had a weaker demeanor. He was scared of standing in front of Asmodeus._

_His Alexander wouldn’t have batted an eyelid._

_His Alexander was fearless._

_His Alexander wasn’t his anymore._

_Magnus watched as his father stood up from his throne and executed the Nephilim, snapping their necks in front of his warlock. “Nobody decides the course of life in Edom but I”, he roared. Red lightning thundered in the sky – announcing the Asmodeus was the supreme power of this realm._

_The raven-haired Nephilim collapsed on the ground as he died. Magnus tilted his head and stared into his dead open eyes. The hazels were looking at nothingness in front of him – and they had stopped flickering in fear._

...

“Suit yourself”, Magnus snapped out of the memory and noticed the reflection of the red hue of his eyes in Alec’s. The Shadowhunter launched another set of arrows in an empty space behind the wolves and activated his runes – jumping out of the circle. The wolves howled and moved their heads with Alec’s leap – tracking him down as he distracted them away from Magnus.

“I will catch up with you. Go”, Alec waved his hand.

“See you on the other side”, Magnus took a deep breath, tearing his gaze away from Alec and focusing on slipping away.

“Come at me”, he clutched his bow and arrow and whistled, turning the feral animals to face him. Magnus skipped back, keeping his eyes on the animals and Alec until he was safely away from the scene. Turning around, he ran right where his magic directed him. A few yards into his run, he opened a portal and jumped right in.

...

Alec had been in multiple combat situations before. However, he could count the number of times he’d done it alone. There were 27 feral wolves closing in on him, and they all looked starved and hungry beyond recognition. There was something so different about them. Their yellow eyes, contrasting to the normal green, and slightly larger built. Alec had seen werewolves before – he’d seen Maia transform several times when they were in battle alongside each other... he’d also seen Broselind ones specifically, but these were much larger and broader. Releasing 5 arrows at a row of male wolves at the far back, Alec jumped onto a rock as a wolf crouched ahead of him. “I’ve got this. I’ve got this...”, he muttered to himself. This would have been so much easier if Jace or Isabelle had been by his side right now.

The crouching wolf launched itself on the Shadowhunter and he ducked to avoid it’s claws. Another peculiar thing about these wolves. These were too many in number. Broselind wolves never hunted in congregated packs. Alec pulled out his seraph blade and rolled over on the ground as two more wolves closed in on him – trapping him on the ground against a tree. Their saliva dripped off their canines, sticking on the leather of Alec’s pants. A singular seraph blade couldn’t have kept them from ripping him to shreds. Alec grunted, using all his strength to push the jaws away from him. The rotten breath from their previous dinner was getting under his skin. He hadn’t planned on killing them until he noticed the eyes of one of the wolves that was standing over him. There was a flame burning in them.

And he had seen this flame before.

With a sharp jerk, Alec pushed the wolf away and hurled his blade upward. The wolves incinerated into dust as his blade cut through them. 7 down, 20 to go. Catching a breath, Alec wiped off the splattered blood of the wolves from his mouth and launched an arrow again. There was a distant Alpha running towards him and the arrow pierced right through – banishing the demonic wolf to Edom. Maybe he had a chance after all. A chance at surviving this attack.

A sharp pain arose in his shoulder blade as a wolf dug its claws, choking Alec between his limbs. Alec cried in pain before he pulled out his blade and dug it right through the animal’s chest. The wolf disappeared from his shoulder and Alec collapsed on the ground – hitting it face-first. He could feel blood oozing out of his nose and mouth as he turned himself around and killed another wolf that had its jaws in Alec’s thigh, pulling him down into a burrow. Thank the Angel for the holster strapped to it. The wolf hadn’t been able to reach the skin.

He groped his pockets for his stele and realized that it wasn’t there. The stele must have fallen in the bushes. “Fuck...”, he groaned, jumping back on his feet and launching another set of arrows at the incoming wolves. His shoulder blade was throbbing with pain, but he couldn’t stop and use an iratze because his stele was gone. There were still over 10 wolves hovering around the Shadowhunter – eyeing him as the snack they probably hadn’t had in a while. “Magnus...”, he whispered the warlock’s name before launching an arrow in his bow.

...

“Alec is hurt... Izzy. There’s something wrong with the mission.”, Jace groaned slightly, unable to ignore the itch he was feeling in his shoulder. Isabelle was running point with the Shadowhunters since the breach at the Institute and now Alec wasn’t responding to his phone and Jace was in pain. This day couldn’t get any better. “I need to portal to Alicante. He needs my help”, Jace rubbed his temple, walking to and fro in Alec’s office. The pain was only getting worse with time.

“We can’t leave the Institute unattended. Alec left us in-charge.”, Izzy sighed – feeling defeated. “Why the fuck is he not answering his phone?”, she threw the phone clanking on the ground and fisted the table.

“Do you know what we lost in the breach?”, Jace huffed, diverting his mind to the matter at hand.

“They’re still clearing debris from the blast. We’ll know soon”, Isabelle shook her head. “What if Helen was right, Jace? What if Magnus is behind all this...?”

“He can’t be...”, Jace responded. “This is Magnus we’re talking about...”

“I know but... Helen... she said she felt... Edomai magic in the walls. And now this breach. Preliminary reports say that the perpetrators used relics of Edomai origin to break into the sub-cells”, her lips trembled. “Alec is out there... alone and with Magnus. What if he’s done...?”

“Magnus cannot hurt Alec!”, Jace shook his head. “He can’t. There’s no way. There _has_ to be an explanation for what Magnus did... if he did it...”, he sniffed. “I am going to call Underhill and ask him to trace Alec. That’s our only option right now...”, he pulled out his phone. “Isabelle, get me the list of items stolen in the breach. Now”, he instructed, rushing out of the office.

...

Alec pressed his fist on the ground, pushing himself on his feet. The last of the wolves had just vanished under his blade. He looked at his shredded jacket and leaned back on the trunk of the tree, steadying himself to ease the pain. There were ashes of banished demonic wolves all around him. His shoulder was bleeding and there was a deep cut in his calf muscle that was throbbing. He had a metallic taste in his mouth from bleeding out. Without his stele, he had to wait for them to heal in a mundane-way until someone found him.

“SIR!”, he heard Underhill’s concerned scream as he answered his call.

“Underhill”, Alec gasped, holding his breath steady.

“Where are you? Isabelle and Jace called me... Jace said that you’re...”, he yelled. Alec cursed the Parabatai bond for being so right all the time.

“I am fine. I am totally fine... Lilith is not here. She ran away after she realized Magnus had tracked her here... it’s a failed mission...”, he sighed, wiping fresh blood off his nose. “I suggest you portal back to New York. There’s been a breach at the Institute. See if anyone needs assistance there. Ask Aline and Helen to stay back here.”, Alec ordered, expanding his aching chest for a deep breath.

“Where are you and Magnus?”

“We’re ok. Heading back to New York. See you in a bit...”, Alec bit his lower lip, feeling warm blood on the cuts and bruises there. He hung the call and dropped his phone back in his pocket, using his bow to stand up straight on the ground. He had just lied to a colleague. Lilith wasn’t here. That was true. But she had _never_ been. He mentally cursed himself for not putting it together before.

Magnus had lured him to Alicante.

It had been the warlock’s plan all along.

“I hope you have perfectly sound explanation for this, Magnus... because truth be told... I still trust you a whole lot. And maybe it’s going to be the end of me...”, Alec limped making his way towards the direction that Magnus had disappeared to. If he was right in assuming the plan – Magnus would be entering the Biobank facility by now.

He sent a quick text to Jace telling him that he was fine and asked him to stay back in New York. The Institute needed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought. What you liked, hated...whatever. just drop a comment. It means a lot.


	8. Chapter 8

Finding the Biobank hadn’t been difficult for Magnus. He portaled a few hundred yards away from the building and walked the rest of it until he was standing in front of an abandoned church. Why did all of the Clave buildings resemble churches? Magnus threw a wave of magic to assess the number of Shadowhunters guarding the facility. There was one heat signature at the door and two more in the corridors on the left. For a secure facility – it wasn’t very heavily guarded. Magnus gazed at the security lock on the gate – it was powered by an angelic core. Only a Shadowhunter could have opened it with their blood or eye-scan.

Magnus hid himself behind the bushes and waited, thinking of a plan to breach the facility without tipping Jia Penhallow’s council. Some tens of minutes later, a portal opened in front of the main gate. “Robert Lightwood”, Magnus muttered under his breath as he saw Alec’s father at the main gate. He must have come for one of his patrols. If Alec hadn’t told him about Robert being in-charge of the place, the warlock would have received a necessary surprise. Magnus gently upped himself in a squatting position and scanned the area around the old man. He could have used this opening to get inside the facility without tipping any Nephilim.

Robert was all alone. No Shadowhunters on his heels. He scanned his eyes against the door lock and the gates fell apart with a simple click. Magnus glamoured himself as a runed Shadowhunter and tiptoed inside before the doors shut again, hiding in the bushes as soon as he was across the gates. Robert had suspected nothing. “Stupid fucking Nephilim”, Magnus scoffed. He crouched behind the bushes and sent another wave of scanning magic to analyze where he had to head after entering the building. The facility with the Downworld blood was underground the church. Magnus detected demonic signatures from three floors below the ground.

He shifted his weight between his legs and something dropped on the mud. Magnus tore his gaze away from the main door and looked down. The object was glowing red on his touch. It was a stele. It was Alec’s stele that must have stuck to his shirt when they were hiding behind that tree. Horror flashed all over Magnus’ mind as he realized that he had left Alec alone in front of over two dozen starving wolves with no means to activate his runes. “Alexander”, he gasped, letting out Alec’s full name from his mouth. The man had a set of arrows and a single seraph blade and he was fighting 27 demonic wolves straight out of the depths of his native realm. Gripping the stele tightly in his hand, he shut his eyes. Could he have afforded to lose the Shadowhunter? Did Alec deserve to die in Magnus’ conquest for revenge?

“Fuck”, he swore under his breath. He needed to get to Alec and save him before everything else. The flame of anger in his veins burnt as he realized the gravity of his mistake and how it could have potentially costed an innocent life. The wolves weren’t supposed to hurt Alec... just keep him busy but what if they got hungry. They were afterall animals. Untamed beasts. Magnus’ soft grunts and his clenched jaw coupled with his anger snapped when he heard a small blast. Opening his eyes, he looked around and saw that he had just blasted off Alec’s only stele with his demonic magic. “I need to get to Alec”, he muttered. He could have easily come back to steal the blood vials again.

And then it happened again.

Magnus stood up from the ground and was tackled into a blind spot – pushed against the wall with a force and his mouth covered with warm and wet hands smelling of grass and mud. The warlock was astonished at how his magic – his demonic magic from the dark realms of Edom had failed to detect Alec sneaking up on him almost thrice in the same night. Within a few seconds, Magnus was trapped between Alec’s panting body and the wall.

“You’re this close to getting caught, do you know that?”, Alec whispered in a shaky voice – enough to grab Magnus’ attention to his bruised lips and the deep cuts on his cheek and under the Shadowhunter’s nose. Magnus closed his eyes and pushed Alec away with everything he had.

“What is wrong with you, Alec?”, he roared. “You’re really testing my patience by sneaking up on me... thrice in one night”, the warlock spat out detest for his ex-boyfriend. Alec stumbled back on his limping feet, grabbing an iron rod to support him from tripping on the ground. He steadied himself and pulled his seraph blade out, holding it up in the direction where Magnus stood. He was breathing heavily – Magnus noticed. Three miles was a long distance to cover on foot, without having a stamina or speed rune activated. And, Alec was injured.

“Stop right now.”, he whispered. Magnus rolled his eyes at Alec’s feeble attempt to scare him and turned his gaze towards the Shadowhunter. The man was barely standing upright on his feet. He licked his lips noticing the torn flesh on his stomach and on his calf muscle and dried blood lining his skin.

“You think you can stop me with a blade?”, Magnus arched a brow.

“I can...”, Alec gulped. He sounded so determined. “Or I can die trying...”, he painfully admitted.

Magnus flinched at the idea of something happening to Alec. Something so permanent and irrevocable as death. “You can barely stand straight”, he cautiously looked away, unable to see Alec’s pain with his own eyes.

“And whose fault is that?”, Alec snapped, gritting his teeth in agony.

“You’re a smart one, Alec.”, Magnus taunted.

“I manage...”, Alec tightened his holster around his thigh – covering the cut and stopping blood flow.

“Better than most of your kind...”

“Magnus... stop this. Did you really think I wouldn’t realize that those wolves were shape-shifting demons from Edom?”, Alec urged.

“Stop what?”, Magnus snapped. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”, he argued, closing his eyes.

“Stop behaving like this isn’t affecting you”, Alec hissed, pushing Magnus against the wall again. The warlock fixed his gaze up at the man and saw his hazels boring straight into his. “...like this darkness is something you enjoy... that you feel empowered with. That watching me bleed right now is something you find pleasure in”, Alec completed. “Because we both know that you’re better than this... that you’re not the man you are pretending to be...”

“You need to step back before I hurt you, Alec”, Magnus refused to reply.

“You want to hurt me?”, Alec arched a brow. “Ok then... kill me. I am inches away from you... defenseless, injured with fatal bites on my body. Just snap your fingers and end me... once and for all...”

Magnus widened his eyes and looked at the man. Alec wasn’t joking. He was serious about letting Magnus end his life. The warlock had been on the receiving end of Alec the boyfriend and never Alec the Shadowhunter and the man was a fierce soldier – brutal and ruthless. Determined to do whatever it takes. His hands were firmly curled around Magnus’ shoulder, holding him steady against the wall. “Step back, Alec”, he repeated, his voice almost down to a whisper. “I will do what I have to do... and you can’t stop me. No one can.”, Magnus mustered up his strength, careful not to use his magic to unintentionally injure Alec more, and struggled to pull out of his grasp. The Shadowhunter pulled him back into the blind spot, the warlock’s back to his chest and wrapped his arms around the man, covering his mouth with his palm.

“Shh. Stop talking...”, he hissed. “Patrolling guards”, Alec whispered – his breath hitting Magnus right abov his ear. Magnus huffed out a breath – Alec’s palm pressed tightly on his mouth and looked around. There was indeed a bunch of Shadowhunters looking around, scouring the boundaries of the building. Each of them had seraph blades in their hands and a torch to help them navigate in the darkness. The warlock slumped against Alec feeling his warm breath huffing down his neck. They were ridiculously close to each other. The hilt of Alec’s blade was pressing inside Magnus’ abdomen.

They waited in the narrow and dark space until the guards vanished back into the facility. Alec gently let Magnus go and dropped his weight on the wall – catching his breath and normalizing the shooting pain in his stomach. Magnus conjured up a bout of healing magic and advanced towards Alec, but the man stepped away – pushing the magic out of his way. “I don’t need you to heal me...”, he shook his head, peering out to see if there was anyone still outside. Anyone who could have caught them.

“That wound is deep, Alec. It could get infected if you don’t heal it...”, Magnus noted, his eyes unable to move away from the giant cut in the side of Alec’s abdomen. He should have been careful with the number of demons he had summoned to distract Alec in the first place.

“I am fine. I will use an iratze as soon as I find a stele. Don’t need you to waste your magic on me...”, he whispered. Magnus clenched his jaw and swallowed, feeling guilty for destroying Alec’s stele.

“What are you looking for?”, Alec asked.

“What?”

“Why are you here? What do you need?”

“I can’t tell you”, Magnus crossed his hands on his chest and looked away. “It’s not your business, Alec”

“I am your _only_ shot at getting what you need...”, Alec deadpanned.

“Is that so?”, Magnus asked.

“It is. Half-angel, remember?”, he pointed at the bleeding cut on his skin. “I have access to every secure door inside the premises”

“I can burn this building down to nothing if I desire. I don’t need your angelic blood.”, Magnus swiveled his hand and a ball of purple flame appeared in his hand – his eyes glowing deep red.

“...and you will _also_ destroy what you’ve come for”, Alec looked right into his eyes without so much so as an iota of fear.

“Why do you want to help me?”

“Because you’re my only chance at getting back home... alive”, Alec lied. He knew Underhill would be here the second he sent a distress call and his life wasn’t why he was helping Magnus.

“Try again”, Magnus whispered.

Alec felt his lips curve into a smile at the realization that Magnus could still see through him. Through his façade. The smile never made it to Alec’s face as he consciously decided against it.

“If you get caught, I can’t imagine what Jia’s guards would do to you. What the Clave would do to you...”, Alec admitted, holding back the tears in his eyes. “...and I can’t let you get caught. I cannot abandon you…”, Magnus gasped as he saw that fear in Alec’s eyes... the concern. The love.

_It’s all a ruse. Alec doesn’t love you. He hasn’t for a long time._

“You want me to believe that you care about my well-being all of a sudden?”, Magnus squinted his eyes.

“I don’t want to _make_ you believe.”, Alec shrugged. “It is the fucking truth whether you believe it or not.”

“I can take care of myself... Jia Penhallow and the guards...they’re nothing in front of my magic. I am the prince of Edom for crying out loud...”, Magnus stepped forward, poking his finger in Alec’s chest. “I can take them all down without batting an eyelid”. That much was true. He was powerful.

“Helen told me about the Edomai magic in the wards”, Alec sniffed, his eyes reddening with grief. “I told her she was wrong... that you couldn’t...”, he swallowed. Magnus paled as he understood what the man was talking about. “There’s been a blast at the Institute this morning. Isabelle updated me right outside the forest. I wanted to believe that you weren’t behind all this... even though every evidence points at you...”, Alec swallowed his tears.

“And yet you came to the mission with me? Without Aline and Underhill to protect you...”, Magnus was shocked.

“I was hoping to find something to hold on to. Something that told me that you were still in there. That the Magnus I know would never hurt an innocent person. He would never hurt anyone...”, Alec placed his palm flat on Magnus’ heart. “Trust is a funny thing, Magnus Bane”, he chuckled, sadly. “I trust you...”

“You trust the man I used to be”, Magnus responded, bitterly.

“You’re still the same man...”, Alec argued.

“I am not”, Magnus stilled. “I am not the same man I used to be before my father decided to ruin what was left of my humanity. When he took me to Edom with him...”, he spoke in an accusatory tone.

Alec had an idea that Magnus had been in Edom all this while but to hear it out loud... from Magnus’ mouth. It destroyed him. When he made a deal with Asmodeus – his magic for their relationship, Alec had never thought that the Demon would lure Magnus back into his realm. That wasn’t supposed to happen. Magnus was supposed to be here and move on from Alec. Find someone better to love. Someone immortal maybe. Asmodeus had fouled him. Played dirty with their deal. He had played at the expense of Magnus’ broken heart and it infuriated Alec.

“You are still you, Magnus”, Alec repeated. “I can feel it. I see it in your eyes. They’re still you.”, he shrugged. Magnus felt tears stinging at the back of his own. Why was Alec so wondrous with his choice of words?

“I am not. And I will not stop until I have punished my father for all that he took from me”, he gritted his teeth. Alec parted his lips, taking in the details of Magnus’ plan with a blatant shock on his face. “I will give him the same pain he gave me...”, he saw veins pop out of Magnus’ skin surrounding his eyes. Dark purple veins that highlighted his red eyes. “I will take away everything from him. His power... his kingdom... his magic. I will snatch away his existence until he’s left with nothing but a void.”, purple magic sparked out of his body, reaching out to twitch Alec.

“Magnus”, Alec called out. “Magnus... hey!”, he said his name again, encasing the man’s face within his palms. The man was shaking with fear and a jolt of electricity under the warlock’s skin. “Hey... hey”, his voice was softer now. Magnus was staring right into his eyes, but his mind somewhere else. “Magnus... listen to me... come on...”, he repeated, pleading his warlock to come back to him. He couldn’t help but feel guilty for all of this. He had broken Magnus’ heart. He had pushed him over the edge enough for Magnus to make a decision to go to Edom with his demonic father. _He_ had been the one responsible for the torture Asmodeus had inflicted on Magnus. If he ever got his hands on the Greater Demon, he would make sure the creature suffered. _This_ isn’t how Alec had imagined this deal with his ex-boyfriend’s father to turn out as.

Magnus blinked his eyes and returned to the present. Alec’s hands were still cupping his face and looking at him horrifically. He must have let his glamours shed. He must have exposed Alec to this new version of himself. The one surged with hell-fires of Edom. “Alec, please”, he sighed, curling his hands around Alec’s wrists to push him away. “You’re being stupid. I could snap your neck right now... and”

“Like I said, do it”, Alec admitted, stubbornly.

“You’re risking your career. Your life. You need to leave now”

“The only thing I am risking is the fact that there’s a chance that you might break my trust... and I will still find a reason to trust you... maybe that’s how weak I am...”, he swallowed.

_You’re not weak._

“What do you want from here?”, the Shadowhunter asked again.

“Alec”, Magnus turned around, his back to Alec.

“Is it going to hurt innocent people”, Alec questioned.

“Depends on your definition of innocent.”, Magnus scoffed. Alec huffed out an exhausted breath, grabbing Magnus’ arm to turn him around until their faces were breathing inches away from each other.

Something in Magnus – a voice in his head was urging him to come clean to Alec. He didn’t have to give him the whole truth. Maybe just enough to help him bring his father to justice. Enough to unravel the truth. “Blood”, he blurted out. “I need vials of some Downworlder’s blood”, he blinked, taking a step back to make some space between him and the Shadowhunter. “That’s all that I can tell you...”, he shrugged.

“Let’s go then”, Alec holstered his blade and straightened himself – groaning in pain.

“Excuse me?”

“Let’s go and get the blood samples you need”, Alec shrugged.

“You’re going to help me break into a Clave facility. A facility that your father basically guards...”, Magnus watched him turn around and poke his head out of the wall they had been hiding against.

“Looks like it”, Alec mumbled. “Come on. There will be another patrol in an hour. We need to be out of here by then...”, he adjusted his bowstring on his nose and stepped out – Magnus following him in a daze. They reached the main door and Alec tilted his head, asking his magic to snap the lock open.

“It’s a biometric”, Magnus stepped forward.

“Try it”, Alec whispered, turning his back to the door to keep a watch on the main gate. The main door opened a few seconds later and Alec walked inside in reverse, closing the door behind him. The corridors illuminated as they stepped further. “There must be cameras down that corridor. You need to blast them off...”, he informed.

“How do you know?”, Magnus waved his hands and the cameras disappeared.

“It’s a standard Clave architecture”, Alec informed. He felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. It had to be Jace or Izzy. There was no way his Parabatai couldn’t feel the pain he was in right now. They made their way into the stairwell, Alec keeping a watch on incoming guards. He could hear someone in the corridors upstairs. Maybe his father was talking to someone. They had not seen him exit the premises.

“Magnus”, Alec moaned as they reached the landing. “Glamour my injuries”, he whispered. Magnus turned around and saw that Alec was holding himself up against the wall. The lights in the area were highlighting the extent of Alec’s injuries. He was almost dragging his injured feet on the ground.

“You need to let heal those wounds, Alec”, Magnus shook his head, reaching out to hold Alec up on his feet.

“Later. If we get caught, these injuries will be the least of my worries”, Alec took a deep breath. “Glamour them for me”, he urged. Magnus pursed his lips and nodded – waving his hand.

“You’re just as stubborn as I remember”, dropping down on his knees, he pulled Alec’s ripped jeans apart to make a larger hole and let tendrils of his magic flow through. The demons had scratched his skin tissue apart with it’s claws and deposited demon ichor inside. Magnus used his magic to take out the demon ichor from the wound and pulled the tissues together – healing them into a pink scar. “You need to be able to walk if you are going to help me”, he looked up to meet his gaze with Alec.

...

Breaking into the facility wasn’t the hard part. Making it out of there alive would have been. Alec took a cover at the door while Magnus stepped inside to grab a few vials of Iris Rouse’s blood and be out of the city in no time. The whole thing happened in a haze since the warlock couldn’t wrap his minds around Alec’s intentions of helping him break into his own department.

“Alec?”, the Shadowhunter snapped his neck when he heard his name from the corridor. He straightened himself up and turned around to find his father standing a few feet away from him. “What are you doing here?”

“Uh”, Alec gasped. He glanced at Magnus who was still searching for what he needed. “Hey, Dad”, he feigned a smile. Robert’s lips curved into a smile as he spread his arms for a hug. Alec hated hugs. He hated what his father had done to his mother more. But it was all for a distraction. So, he moved forward into the hug, biting his lips as his father squeezed his stomach where his wound was.

“What are you doing here?”, Robert pulled away.

“I was... in Alicante and I thought I would see you before I go back to New York...”, Alec lied.

“You never see me”, Robert tilted his head.

“That’s not...uh... Dad, you know we haven’t had the best couple of months”, he swallowed. “And... I just... I’ve been trying to pull my life back together and I thought it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to go see your father”, Alec shrugged. “I am here on a mission to locate Lilith...”

“Lilith’s in Alicante?”, Robert paled.

“In the forests”, Alec corrected. “We had a tracking hit here...”

“Does Jia know?”, Robert furrowed his brows. “Alec, are you ok? You seem flushed”, he asked.

“I am fine...”, Alec waved it off. “Just exhausted...”

“Come back to my room with me... we can spend the night catching up”, he offered.

“No... no, I have to be back at the Institute by midnight”, Alec shook his head – hoping that Magnus was done with whatever he had wanted to do. “There’s something Isabelle wants me to have a look at...”, he swallowed.

“How is she?” Robert smiled.

“She’s doing good”

“...and your... your mother?”, Robert cleared his throat. “I didn’t have a chance to speak with her since... since...”

“The de-runing?”, Alec arched a brow – his despise for Robert’s actions appearing on his face. He couldn’t let his hatred ruin things for Magnus now. He had to remain calm about all this. “Mom is resilient... she’s also a fighter. I wouldn’t worry about her, if I were you.”, he faked a smile on his face.

“Alec, I can’t explain how guilty I feel about what happened between us”

“What happened... happened for the best”, Alec clenched his teeth. _Her best. She deserved better than you._ The hazel-eyed Shadowhunter thought. His hand instinctively went to his abdomen and the wound was still throbbing with pain. The bleeding had obviously subsided, but the clot had been tender enough to reopen if Alec made any further movements.

“How did you reach the sub-cells?”, Robert asked.

“Um, the guard upstairs told me I would find you here”

“Right...”, Robert seemed to have bought through his stories. Alec glanced over his father’s shoulder and saw Magnus gesturing to leave. The warlock couldn’t have portaled out of the building because of the wards. Alec had to distract his father so that Magnus could have sneaked out. “So, where are you off to now?”, he asked.

“Oh... I just need to round up my team and portal back to New York”, Alec raised his hand, making his way to the stairwell. He flicked his fingers in Magnus’ direction, asking him to follow quietly.

“Team...? Jace is here too?”, Robert asked.

“No... no, Jace is back in New York... he’s running the Institute”, Alec blabbered. “I don’t trust anyone else but my Parabatai to keep things running smoothly”

“I am missing out on so much”, Robert sighed.

“You can come visit, maybe”, Alec shrugged and then cursed himself because his shoulder blade was hurting. _Don’t come visit. We don’t need you in our lives._

“I think I should”, Robert smiled.

They reached the end of the main door and Robert pressed the exit button – opening the panels of the electronic door. Alec held the door out for him and then, stealthily taped the lock with a plaster so that it wouldn’t lock again. “Maybe I will come see you all during Christmas...”, he suggested.

“That would be great...”, Alec grinned. _A disaster. A great disaster._ He noticed how fidgety Robert was behaving like... as if his eldest was holding him back from being somewhere else. Like he was eager to leave. Alec noticed the restlessness and felt relieved. He wouldn’t have to put up with the terrible excuse of a father. “Listen, Dad... I should head back to the lake. My team is waiting for me”

“Yeah... yeah”, Robert smiled. “Sure. I don’t want to keep you from your mission”

“Yeah. It was really nice seeing you”, Alec held out an arm to give his father another hug. Robert obliged, before disappearing into the depths of the forests. Alec looked around, hoping Magnus had managed to sneak out of the facility. There was utter silence – so much so that it scared Alec that Magnus hadn’t been able to get out of the Biobank. A portal opened in front of him out of nowhere and there was a fire message that landed in his hand a second later.

_Go home, Alec. You’ve done enough – MB_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, maybe we're getting close to the truth! #MFADfic


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> magnus retrieves Vera's memories.

Jace had cleared Alec’s office, per his instructions, by the time the Shadowhunter walked out of the portal – collapsing in his Parabatai’s arms. Jace yelled out his name, grabbing Alec by his waist to steady him and then realized that he was pushing against the nasty wound which had started bleeding again. “It’s okay...”, Alec whispered, slumping his weight against his brother. “Shut the door”, he rasped, pushing words out of his mouth, as Jace pulled him to the couch and Isabelle ran inside with a cart of medical supplies. The blond Shadowhunter obeyed his brother, runeing the doors and windows shut to avoid intrusions.

The female Shadowhunter held her hand to her mouth when she saw the extent of her brother’s injuries. There were small cuts and bruises on his face but that seemed to be the least of her worries. The way his body was slumped on one side, there must have been more than one fatal wound on him. Isabelle peeled his t-shirt apart with a pair of surgical scissors and saw the inflamed wound that was reeking awfully. She scrunched her nose, pulling out a roll of cotton and antiseptic washing liquid to wash off the ichor before she could activate his iratze.

“What demon was this?”, she gasped, wiping off the edges of the wound carefully to reveal that Alec’s skin had been bitten out of his body – his pink muscles exposed to the air to get infected.

“Shape-shifting...”, Alec blurted out, throwing his neck back on the armrest of the couch to endure the sting of the antiseptic liquid working on his body. “I had my stamina rune activated... but it wasn’t enough...”, Alec gulped. The stamina rune had prevented him from going afloat the whole evening. He had been in a lot more pain that he had let himself or Magnus feel all through the night. To be honest, without Magnus healing his calf-wound, he wouldn’t have survived the heist that he had helped Magnus pull in Alicante a few minutes ago.

“You should have called Underhill... or Jace. Or let us come to you, you fool...”, Isabelle screamed, furious at her brother as she wiped the ichor out of the edges. Using a squirt bottle of antiseptic liquid, she poured it a little on the wound to draw the demon blood out. Alec hissed in pain and shut his eyes, tears squeezing out of them. “Jace, pull him up”, she asked. “...and where’s Magnus? Wasn’t he supposed to be with you or something?”, she asked.

“He... went back to his apartment after creating a portal for me”, Alec breathed out.

“Without healing your wounds...?”, Jace furrowed his brows.

“I asked him not to. He had to save his magic for when we bumped into Lilith.”, Alec struggled to stretch himself up on the couch to give Isabelle access to the other wounds on his back.

Jace sat on the couch and pulled Alec up, dropping his head on his shoulder and keeping him steady in his arms. He pulled Alec’s t-shirt off and Isabelle clenched her jaw before she began cleaning the wound on her shoulder blade. Alec was cold and sweaty under Jace’s touch and he could feel his Parabatai rune pulsating with pain. “Izzy, quick... he’s fading”, Jace gasped, patting Alec’s cheek to keep him awake. “Alec...buddy, please stay with me...”, he whispered to his brother.

“Done... I am done Jace... activate his healing rune now...”, she shrieked. Jace pulled his stele out and waved it over Alec’s iratze. Isabelle wrapped both the wounds with sterile bandages and gestured Jace to put him down carefully. Alec had drifted away in exhaustion by the time they were done with treating him.

“He will wake up soon enough. I will go and grab some food for him... _and us_...”, Jace stood up from the couch.

“I will stay with him”, Isabelle nodded.

...

A summoning circle, two spells and a martini later, a warlock appeared in the middle of Magnus’ apothecary in his new apartment. “What can I do for you, your Highness!”, the creature bowed, dropping his glamour and submitting his wings in Magnus’ reverence. Magnus summoned a whip and choked the warlock, twisting his fingers around tightening the grip.

“MAGNUS”, the man choked, parting his lips to struggle to breathe.

“What did I tell you about the demons?”, he grunted, lifting his hand to pull the warlock in air.

“You needed to create a distraction for the Shadowhunters”, the man hissed.

“And... what do you think the fucking definition of a distraction is”, Magnus flicked his wrist and the warlock smashed against the stone wall right behind him. The wall incurred a slight bump and the Edomai warlock collapsed on the ground, unable to move. “How many demons...?”, he asked.

“You said that you...”, the warlock pushed his hands flat on the floor to help him sit straight up. “I thought... that...”

“Over two dozen...”, Magnus thrashed the warlock back into the wall and a stream of blood flowed out of his nose. “That’s not a distraction... that’s a fucking attempt to assassinate...”, he clarified.

“Magnus, I am sorry... I was just following orders”

“My orders were clear, warlock. They were _crystal clear_. You had no right to touch him. You were just ordered to keep him busy until I got away...”, he flashed his red eyes, summoning a ball of purple magic.

“Asmodeus said... Asmodeus said”, the warlock’s eyes widened in horror and he lifted his hands in surrender. “Magnus, please...”, he pleaded. “Your father said that if I send in more demons... and if they hurt the Shadowhunter... then you’ll be... you’ll be pleased”, he cried, tears rolling down his reddened orbs.

“Asmodeus”, Magnus rolled his eyes, taking a deep breath. “Asmodeus”, he repeated, turning his back to the warlock. He twisted his wrist again and the warlock disappeared again with a shriek that echoed long after he was gone.

...

“Easy”, Isabelle helped Alec sit on the couch when he gained consciousness. She offered him a new shirt and he hung it over his shoulder, too tired to button it up. His wounds were all healed up leaving pink scars behind. The kind of demon that had attacked Alec had made it unlikely for the _iratze_ to completely heal him so soon. “How do you feel?”, she asked as Jace passed on a glass of water for their brother. Alec thirstily drank the contents of the glass and took a deep breath, leaning his neck on the backrest.

“I’m fine”, he huffed. Isabelle pulled herself up on the space next to her brother and buttoned his new shirt for him – much to his dissatisfaction. “That’s not important anyway…”, he opened his eyes. “What did we lose in the demon attack at the Institute?”, he recalled the incident and saw the color on both his siblings' face pale. “What?”, he asked.

“The two vials of Heavenly Fire serum…”, Isabelle whispered – her voice laden with guilt. “That’s the only thing missing”, she added. Alec's breath caught in his throat as he looked up at Jace. The Parabatai simply nodded in confirmation. “No one got hurt so that’s good…”, she rubbed her temple.

“For now…”, Alec commented. “If the perpetrators have the serum, we’ve no idea to what extent they can use it to create havoc”

“I know, Alec. But you said it yourself. Magnus wouldn’t.”, Isabelle shook her head.

“Isabelle, are we sure it was Magnus' wards that…”, Alec closed his eyes. He was beginning to believe what has been right in front of him this whole time. What Helen and Isabelle had been trying to tell him for days now. Isabelle swallowed, fixing her gaze on her brother and then nodded.

“There is no other way the warlocks could have broken into our sub-cells. We didn’t even detect the intrusion until one of them mistakenly nicked an angelic ley line”, she shrugged. Alec rubbed his thigh and stood up, balancing himself as the sudden movement made him dizzy. Isabelle and Jace were on their heels the next second, alert and attentive to hold Alec if the need arose.

“Get me a stele, and my bow”, Alec flicked his wrist, ordering his sister.

“Where are you going?”, Isabelle gasped, refusing to comply to Alec's demands.

“If Magnus is behind all this, I am going to go and ask him. Bring him to the Institute for questioning if needed.”, he walked over to a small cabinet in his office and pulled out his finger gloves.

“Alec, you can’t”, Isabelle protested.

“Isabelle, I can”, Alec mumbled in a similar tone.

“Alec, you’re hurt”, she shrieked.

“I am fine.”, Alec pulled his gloves on. “Besides, it is my job description to bring crime down in New York. And I need to go and catch the people responsible for threatening peace in my city”, he added.

Isabelle knew it was not a good idea to try to coax Alec to listen to her. He was a stubborn man. But she had to try.

“What is going on?”, they heard Clary's voice.

“My brother is trying to get himself killed”, Isabelle rubbed her temple, turning to face Jace’s girlfriend. “Nothing new...”, she sighed. Clary’s lips curved into a soft smile, dropping a set of papers on the desk.

“Alec, Underhill asked me to give these to you. These are the proposal plans for a new security intervention”, she informed.

“Good... I’ll take a look at them once I am back. Thank you, Clary”

“No problem”, she whispered. “Alec... listen to Izzy”, she shrugged. “We all care about you... love you... and...”, she licked her lips. Alec looked over his shoulder and then dropped his gaze. He knew she was just worried about him. His entire family was. Of the three of them, Clary had been someone he had barely spoken to. He didn’t resent her the way he used to when they had first met... but they had never had a chance to come close to each other. In his own way, they did love each other though. Alec was grateful for the amount of happiness she had given his brother... and Clary loved him and cared for him as Jace’s Parabatai. “...you also know that no matter what you choose to do, we’ll all stand by you”, she added.

“Thank you, Clary”, Alec whispered. “Isabelle, you need to trust me. I _know_ what I am doing...”, he looked at his sister.

“Fine... do what you have to”, she raised her hands and let them fall, letting out a defeated breath. “But come back to me... alive. I need you...”, she warned. Alec bent down, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. She relaxed a little, heaving a deep sigh. She wouldn’t be fine until Alec came back from whatever he had planned to do... but she couldn’t have stopped him.

...

Magnus opened a portal for himself and before he could process, he was standing in Vera’s shop – overlooking her vault. He summoned the blood vials and poured it in his hand before chanting a spell to unlock the vault. The levers in the locked safe turned around until they were aligned in one plane. There were symbols on the rim of the door that glowed up in response to the spell and it clicked open with a creepy creaking sound. Very cinematic.

Magnus drew closer and saw a stack of small flasks – each of them glowing cyanic blue with tendrils of memories inside them. Magnus lifted his hand and rotated their rim to see the nametags carefully. They had been arranged chronologically. There were not a lot of entries dated Halloween, 2019 and Magnus had no problems spotting the one that was tagged Alexander G. Lightwood. He gulped, pulling the flask out. He was not sure why he was retrieving Alec’s memories, but it couldn’t have been just a coincidence that Asmodeus came to earth, Alec met Vera and the warlock died mysteriously at the hands of his father.

The flask was sealed with a cork which Magnus had no problems popping out. The tendrils of memories escaped – spreading as a beautiful blue cloud below the roof of the shop. Magnus lifted his gaze up and saw as a perfectly analyzable image appeared in front of him. He closed his eyes and let the memories enter his mind.

 _Who would you like to commune with, my dear?_ Magnus heard Vera’s feeble yet enchanting voice as if he had been trapped in her body. He was watching the interaction from the fallen warlock’s perspective. Alec Lightwood stepped under the light and Magnus recognized the leather jacket that he had gifted after one of their many visits to Milan. He looked so much younger than the Alec Magnus knew now. There was a holster strapped to his thigh. He’d been out on the field that evening.

 _A long-lost relative? A fallen friend_ —Magnus scoffed at Vera’s feeble attempt to hide the true nature of what she did there.

 _ASMODEUS_. Alec’s instructions were simple and clear. Magnus swallowed as he heard his father’s name roll out of his then boyfriend’s mouth. _Prince of Edom_. The Shadowhunter elaborated. It was strange getting his suspicions about Alec being related to Asmodeus’ return to this world confirmed. Magnus wanted to step closer to Alec to have a clearer view at his face. The face he had been in love with. But Vera was at a safe distance from the boy – watching and analyzing him closely.

 _I am sorry? I don’t understand._ Vera’s voice echoed in Magnus’ mind – pushing all thoughts of Alec away.

 _Don’t you think the whole blind fortune-teller thing is a little bit tired?_ Alec tilted his head and spoke in mock indignation. There was nothing else Magnus could read on Alec’s face. He smiled at his ex-boyfriend’s audacity in picking a fight with a warlock. _Look, I know you’re a warlock, and your power to channel spirits is real._ He spelled it out for the woman. _Are you gonna help me or not?_

He felt his vision shake as Vera settled on a chair in front of Alec. Alec looked even taller at this angle. Almost like a tree. _Channeling demon royalty? That’s quite a request. He heard Vera say. It’ll cost extra._ She settled for an offer on the table. Magnus shook his head. Warlocks and their love for making outrageous deals, especially with the Nephilim kind. He saw Alec rummage through his pockets and drop a pouch of coins and valuables on the table on the table. They must have been gold or something priceless because Vera responded immediately.

 _Very well. I will try to channel Asmodeus. But he will only come if he desires it._ She explained the terms. Magnus flinched at the mention of his father and his antics. “If he desires it”, Magnus scoffed. Asmodeus would have claimed the first opportunity he got to torture his son and bring him over to his side. Magnus felt his visions darken as Vera probably shut her eyes and chanted something in latin. It was a simple summoning spell for his dear father.

The next time the warlock opened his eyes – he felt different. He could see two different visions. Two different thought processes. Two different perspectives. Asmodeus had decided to pay Alec a visit after all. Magnus clenched his fist and swallowed, letting the memory play out. Alec sat in front of him without so much so as batting an eyelid. Magnus was a little proud of his brave Shadowhunter.

 _Alexander Gideon Lightwood._ Magnus heard his father’s despicable voice as he said Alec’s full name. There was a mocking undertone to his words – an insult. An act to hold Alec in contempt of existing.

 _You know who I am?_ Alec deadpanned, and Magnus couldn’t read the expressions on Alec’s face.

 _Of course_. Asmodeus mocked the boy again. Clever idea, calling on me this way. Magnus’ lips curved into a smile. He was proud of the smartness his boyfriend had shown by not summoning him into this realm. But at the same time, what had Alec thought? That Asmodeus would just let a wannabe warlock channel him to this realm and then not use this opportunity to gain his foot back in this world.

 _I wasn’t gonna risk summoning a Greater Demon in New York again._ Alec tilted his head – his face devoid of expressions. _But I had to speak with you._

 _And how is my son?_ Asmodeus asked. Magnus wanted to punch something right now. The sound of his father’s voice was triggering him.

 _Miserable_. _He told me that he would never be happy again without his magic._ Alec accused the man with a frown on his face. _So, please, if you ever cared about Magnus, return what you stole._ The accusatory tone changed into a pleading one. Magnus squeezed his eyelids onto each other after hearing Alec’s request.

 _What I stole?_ Asmodeus mocked. _My son gave me his powers willingly..._ he argued to make a point. _...to save his lover’s Parabatai._ Magnus gritted his teeth together. He couldn’t believe that this is what Alec had spoken to Asmodeus about. _Pathetic_. He heard the Greater Demon scoff at his boyfriend.

 _It’s not pathetic. It was a selfless act._ Alec shot back with equal prowess and Magnus smiled again.

 _And one he already regrets_. Asmodeus whispered. Magnus noticed the color change on Alec’s face and the way his body stiffened in response – holding his emotions at bay.“ No. I don’t”, Magnus whispered softly. “I don’t regret it, Alec. Not one bit.”, he added.

Alec tore his gaze away from the Greater Demon and pulled his lips inside as his mind raced to a million different conclusions. Magnus could recognize the fear in his ex-boyfriend’s eyes – the guilt – the pain. Immortals aren’t meant to grow wrinkled and grey. Asmodeus continued to mentally torment the Head of the New York Institute. In time, Magnus will come to resent you, until the bitter end. Magnus wanted to jump into the memory and hold Alec, tell him that wasn’t true. That there would never be a time where he would ever resent the Shadowhunter. That he didn’t regret any bit of his deal with Asmodeus to save Alec’s brother and Parabatai. That he loved Alec more than he had ever loved anyone and if given a choice, he would do it all over again. 

He could see Alec breaking on the inside. He could see how the Shadowhunter was beginning to blame everything on himself. _I am here to prevent that future._ Alec whispered. His voice lacked the determination from a few seconds ago and Magnus couldn’t blame him at all. His father knew how to get under someone’s skin. How to play with people’s minds using their weaknesses. How to manipulate people into getting what he wanted. To get him his magic and immortality back... Magnus felt wetness on his cheeks as tears flowed down.

 _Fine._ Asmodeus clicked his tongue. _I’ll restore both_. Magnus held his breath at the way Asmodeus jumped to a decision. “What’s the catch, father?”, he whispered. _Under one condition. End... your... relationship._ He slowly worded it out to Alec. The Shadowhunter shifted his head in one direction, processing what Asmodeus had just asked him to do. Magnus could have opened his eyes and stopped the memory from finishing. He didn’t have to see anything more.

 _What?_ Alec gasped. 

 _You are the source of all his suffering. Asmodeus accused. You make him vulnerable, weak_. Magnus gritted his teeth as he watched Alec sit there and listen to this Greater Demon blatantly demean his very existence. Listen to him highlight Alec’s insecurities and bring them back to life. Listen to him trigger Alec with the fears that he had lived with for a major part of his life until he had met Magnus. _With you, he’ll never reach his true potential._ The Greater Demon continued to humiliate the Shadowhunter without any intentions of stopping.

 _You’re wrong. We love each other._ Alec whispered, hoarsely. There was an audible lump in the boy’s throat. Magnus felt his heart shatter for his ex-boyfriend. _I wouldn’t just abandon him._ He could see Alec fight through his emotions and sit straight – maintain his confidence.

 _Then I’m afraid you will be the death of him_. Asmodeus was not subtle in the way he continued to berate the boy, infuriating Magnus. Alec paused, shaking his head before looking back into the Demon’s eyes.  
 _Magnus will never agree to it._ The warlock nodded, agreeing to that.

 _Don’t give him the choice._ Asmodeus deadpanned. _In fact, Magnus can never know about our little arrangement or else the deal is off_. Alec swallowed harshly, tearing his gaze away from Asmodeus. _Break his heart, to save his life._ The memory went dark and quiet, slowly exiting Magnus’ mind and taking its rightful place inside the flask. He let the flask drop on the floor and crash into a million pieces.

“Alexander”, he let out a moaning breath, feeling like his knees were giving up. “You didn’t... you didn’t just...”, he whispered, his voice shaking with grief. Letting go off his control on his himself, Magnus fell on the ground with a loud thud, his knees aching as they bruised themselves hitting the ground. He couldn’t care less of the pain that he felt at the moment because his heart was aching much more strongly. Magnus dug his fingers in the cold black stone of the floor and groaned – shouting and screeching at the top of his lungs. A thick black fog poured out of the tip of his fingers and started spreading on the ground.

Once again, Asmodeus had taken away something very beautiful and dear to his life. Hundreds of years ago, he had driven Magnus’ mundane mother to kill herself because she begot a monster ¬– only to take Magnus to Edom with him and let him become the worst version of himself. 

And now, Alexander was gone too.

Taken away from his life by his own father.  
His immortal life – his chance at finding love – everything had been controlled and manipulated by someone who was supposed to teach him how to fight the atrocities in the world. Or that’s what fathers were basically supposed to do.

He felt the fog engulf the shop, covering it in darkness while the sun was beginning to rise in the Big Apple. It was one of those moments in Magnus' life where he felt he’d been trapped in a cave without an exit. Even if he ever did get over this betrayal, he would never be whole again. His father had made sure of that. The other side of this – the seemingly brighter side with his father vanished from his life still didn’t include the one thing that Magnus desired and loved. Alexander. And that’s what hurt the most. Even if he did end up getting rid of his father, Alec would never love him again. Love him the way he did before. Magnus had become someone he didn’t recognize himself and he wouldn’t have been surprised if Alec would want to be far away from him. Especially after everything he had done.

There was only one way this would all end or begin for the warlock. He couldn’t have Alec anymore, but he could... he really could avenge his life, his love. At least that would ease him. Just a little. He conjured a portal for himself and then pulled himself up on his feet – dragging him to reach his apartment. He wanted to lie down on his bed – cry himself to sleep... and prepare for tomorrow.  
But a pair of hazel eyes had different plans for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought? #MFADfic


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost half-way through the story now. I can't believe the love that's been given to this fic. It was meant to be a short canon-divergent story and is turning into a giant piece of work. Thank you for being so supportive with it. 
> 
> #MFADfic

Finding Alec lurking around in his apartment hadn’t been an unusual sight for Magnus until a few days. Well days for him and years for everyone else. When they had been together, he would often find him sitting with his feet up on the couch, watching shitty reality television that Magnus blamed himself for getting his boyfriend addicted to. Alec had developed a weird obsession for all versions of the Bachelor, and there wasn’t a single episode where Magnus didn’t hear rants about how it was time for the show to include an LGBTQ+ bachelor or bachelorette... almost to an extent that Magnus regretted getting Alec addicted to reality TV. Other days, his boyfriend would be in the kitchen, trying out new recipes, perfecting his culinary skills by carefully following “instructions” and letting Magnus decide his progress every evening. After a couple of disastrous weeks that included a rather fluidy chicken soup that tasted like salted water and an overly seasoned burnt piece of steak, they had come to a point where Magnus had actually started noticing the improvement in Alec’s cooking, or maybe he had just developed a taste for it. Either ways, he couldn’t complain when his doe-eyed Shadowhunter looked at him as if he saw the entire Universe in Magnus.

There were also sporadic evenings where Alec would be sitting on the balcony floor – feeding Magnus’ visiting cats and talking to them, petting their soft fur and cuddling with them enough to make the warlock jealous of the attention the little animals got instead of him.

...

_“Should I be jealous that my cats get more cuddles from my boyfriend than I do”, Magnus crouched on the ground behind Alec, dropping his chin on his shoulder. The Shadowhunter was holding Chairman meow in his hand, moving his hands through her furry neck. Alec looked over his shoulder and pressed a light kiss on Magnus’ cheek._

_“Hi...”, he mumbled with a smile on his face._

_“Hey, darling”, Magnus smiled back._

_“How was your meeting?”_

_“Oh, you know I told you... the warlocks in Boston are very uptight in their beliefs”, he waved his hand, summoning a few treats for their furry friends. “...it was a pain in my ass. But I managed. Only because a certain charming Nephilim had promised me a whole night of his time with no demon-hunting duties and emergency Head-of-the-Institute calls...”, he winked. Leaning forward, Magnus cupped Alec’s face and pulled him closer to press a sloppy kiss on his cheek._

_“I did, didn’t I?”, Alec grinned. Magnus moved his eyes to scan his boyfriend’s face. The evening sunlight did magic to highlight the different shades of green and blue that created his beautiful hazels. Alec turned his head to his right and captured Magnus’ lips in his mouth, savoring the moment. “I missed you...”_

_“We saw each other this morning, babe...”, Magnus pulled away from their kiss, chuckling against Alec’s lips._

_“It’s been a whole half-day too long... kiss my sadness away, please... I have been deprived...”, Alec shook his head, closing his eyes as he pulled Magnus back in for another kiss. Magnus giggled, dropping his knees on the ground as he leaned his body forward, cupping Alec’s jaw between his hands._

_“I need to pay attention to the amount of reality TV you’re watching these days. It seems like we might have a problem in that department...”, the warlock rolled his eyes. “...and they call me dramatic”, he feigned. Alec frowned at him, giving him a fake-sad look by dropping his lips down. “I missed you too, by the way”, he mumbled, using his fingertips to brush Alec’s curls away from his forehead. “Also... the High Warlock of Boston took me to this French place for lunch… and I had the best Boston baked beans I’ve ever had…”_

_“Yeah?”, Alec arched a brow, pulling himself away from his boyfriend to grab the cat food packet and head back inside. He stretched his hand out and pulled Magnus up on his feet and they made their way back to their living room. “We should go there sometime… you know?” he suggested, opening the cabinet door to deposit the food inside._

_“That’s exactly what I thought...”, Magnus hummed, following his boyfriend into their kitchen area. “How about you? How was the New York Shadow World today... how many demons did you slaughter?”, he asked._

_“Me?”, Alec perked up, peering up from the refrigerator door. He took out a packet of orange juice and poured it in a glass, handing it over to the warlock. “My day was pretty usual. A few demon chases, Clary being Clary…and oh, Simon Lewis. I swear to the Angel, Magnus that boy is a mess”, Alec sighed, rolling his eyes. “Never stops talking…”, he gasped, almost astonished at the Vampire's unusual ability to communicate. Magnus chuckled, lifting his glass to take a sip of the juice._

_“He isn’t so bad, Alexander...”, the warlock watched his boyfriend pace around the kitchen, making something quick and easy._

_“Yeah, I know. You’re his Downworlder godfather or something”, Alec mumbled. “What does that make me…? His step-father figure?”, he looked up from the kitchen counter, with eyes wide enough to tear the kids apart. Magnus choked on his drink and chuckled, wiping his face with a napkin that Alec offered. The Shadowhunter passed a plate of leftover pasta towards his boyfriend and settled on a high-stool next to him._

_“Aren’t you eating too?”, Magnus dug his fork in the plate._

_“I had a meeting with Clave officials. They stayed for dinner and I couldn’t refuse them… they’ve been working with me to change a few rules of Downworld oppression in Alicante...”, Alec mumbled, dropping his chin on his wrist. Magnus nodded, taking a few pieces of pasta in his fork and handing it out to the man who scooped it into his mouth with a smile on his face. “You know… I was thinking that we could take that trip to St Lucia now. I can take a little break...”, Alec spoke up, swallowing the food down. Magnus hummed, a teasing smile appearing on his lips._

_“You sure the Shadow world won’t fall if the Head of the New York Institute doesn’t turn up to do his job for 72 hours?”, he perked. Alec arched a brow and stood up from the stool, making his way to his boyfriend. Encasing the man between his arms, he glared._

_“Don’t be mean, alright?”, he asked._

_“You love me”, Magnus winked. Alec rolled his eyes and scoffed._

_“I do.”_

…

“Magnus Bane”, Alec turned to face him. Magnus snapped out of the memory his cruel mind had conjured up. He let his gaze fall on the Shadowhunter and it felt like it’s been a lifetime since he had seen Alec. Sunken and tired eyes, dry hazels, a stubble that hid almost every expression on his face. And yet, there was an evident sadness. In the way he stood and walked, in the way his gaze met Magnus' and in the way he fought every moment to keep his emotions at bay. Magnus cursed himself for not having noticed the visible signs of how miserable Alec looked and had become. How different and sad? How he made every effort to pretend that he wasn’t affected by any of what had happened between them? That his father’s words didn’t rip his self-confidence apart.

How every stance made by him projected how guilty he was of pushing Magnus down this path?

“Alec”, Magnus managed to speak out. He saw the Shadowhunter flinch at the version of the name Magnus had taken to call him now. “You look all healed up now…”, he commented, trying to keep up the bitter façade of his new life. He was glad to see that Alec didn’t look as wrecked as he had left him in Alicante. And then he noticed that Alec had his blades strapped to his thigh, a quiver tight to his torso and a bow in his hand. He had come here for business.

“Yeah, well. I got help on time”

“You’re a brave soldier, Shadowhunter. I have to give you that”, Magnus gulped. Alec didn’t react to that. He chose to remain silent, processing the next words that would come out of his mouth.

“As the Head of the New York Institute, I have the authority to take you in for questioning or arrest you even because Isabelle has evidence that all points towards you...”, he waved his hand and Magnus frowned.

“I don’t follow”, Magnus tilted his head.

“I know what you did to the wards, Magnus.”, Alec responded. He sounded exhausted and helpless at the same time. “I know your warlocks are behind the breach at the Institute.”, he spelled it out. “…that you have the possession of the Heavenly Fire serum”, Alec finished the sentence.

“I always knew you were the smart one, Alec. New York is in great hands.”, Magnus chuckled, turning around to place his back between him and Alec. It was so hard to maintain his façade in front of Alec... especially now that he knew that Alec had been the most beautiful part of his life. He’d been someone who had put Magnus before anyone else.

“That’s the thing, Magnus. I am not smart. When it comes to you, I am not!”, Alec was almost on the verge of shouting. Magnus closed his eyes as he let silence befalls the conversation. “…Helen and Isabelle both told me about the unusual magic steering through my Institute and I defended you. I took your side.”, he accused. “But, I feel like such a fool here, right now. Such a fucking fool”

“You should have listened to your sister and Helen. They are intelligent women. You need more of those in the world anyway...”, Magnus sighed. “I am not the person I used to be. And you used to trust him... not me.”

“The serum, Magnus. Give it back to me and I’ll be out of your hair. No one needs to know about the breach...”, Alec broke the conversation flow. Magnus felt whatever little was left of his heart break. Even when the entire world was against the warlock, Alec wasn’t ready to prosecute the man.

“I can’t give it back”

“What do you mean you can’t?”

“I mean, I cannot give the serum back to you, Alexander”, Magnus turned around and spoke, pausing after each word for effect. “It is that simple”, he whispered. His heart knew how much it ached to tell Alec that he knew everything. That the deal was null and void now. That they could have stopped pretending to hate each other. But none of that mattered now. He and Alec had 2 years, darkness and a realm between them. The only thing left for Magnus to do was avenge his lost time and then hope that one day, Alec would see him as a not broken man. As a friend maybe.

“Breaking into the Institute to steal a Shadowhunter relic is a crime against the Clave, Magnus”, Alec crossed his hands on his chest. His abdomen was still itchy and sore from the wolf bite.

“I know it is. I am still not giving it back. There’s something I need to do, and I need the serum for it”, he shrugged.

“The serum... almost killed Isabelle two years ago...”, Alec took a step forward. “...and she’s a Shadowhunter. We barely got her back, Magnus... and you have no idea”, he shuddered at the recollection of that painful memory. “What can you possibly do with the serum without risking a Downworlder’s life?”, he gasped. “You know it’s fatal to anyone with demonic blood. I cannot let you use it”

“The fact that it is lethal to demonic blood is the reason I need it, Alec”, he turned around, heading into his apothecary. “Listen... you need to leave here. It’s better that way. Plausible deniability”, he waved, walking away from the man. He couldn’t bear to look in Alec’s sleep-deprived and sad eyes.

“Plausible deniability. Really? You think I would care about any of that?”, Alec followed him inside the apothecary which very much resembled the one in his old apartment. He swallowed the lump in his throat and paused at the edge of the door. This felt too familiar to him. There was a glass cabinet right behind Magnus and something was shining through it. Alec peeked, and his eyes lost their color. It was a sword. Forged with heavenly fire. It was just like Glorious that had been destroyed while they were trying to free Clary of her twinning rune.

“The sword?”, he pointed his index finger. “You need pure angel blood to make it... I saw how Isabelle did it the first time...”

“People owe me favours, Alec. Even your kind.”, Magnus swallowed. “Why are you still here, anyway? Go... hunt your demons. That’s what you’re good at.”, he rolled his eyes, hiding his emotions away.

“I am not leaving without the sword”, Alec shrugged.

“I am not giving it back”

“Magnus, what is wrong with you!”, Alec raised his hands in the air yelled. “Why won’t you just listen to me... once”, he shrieked, his voice pleading to Magnus in a helpless manner. “I am trying to make sure the Clave doesn’t hold you responsible for any of this mess... that you don’t get blamed for something that your father made you do... I can’t let their stupid rules get in the way of you settling back in your life and trying to move on from your father...”

Magnus closed his eyes, turning his back to Alec. “What I did has nothing to do with Asmodeus. He didn’t make me do anything...”, he paused. “Although... this is all for a gift I wanna give my dear father...”

“I don’t care about what you plan to do. He’s the one who dragged you to Edom... and did... something he really shouldn’t have... it wasn’t part of—”, Alec dramatically threw his hands in the air and then gasped as he realized what he was about to give away. “This darkness... this sadness in you... the way you pretend to be indifferent to pain and hardships around you. he did this to you... and I will never forgive...”

“ _You_ left me, Alec. You broke up with me. I was heartbroken... you did that! _THAT_ is on you...”, Magnus turned around, unable to hold control over his temper anymore. He roared – shattering some glass flasks in his working space. Alec’s hand grabbed the hilt of his blade, ready to use, but he kept it tugged in his holster. But his eyes, his eyes felt guilty and convicted. “I was alone... and homeless... I had nowhere to go”, the warlock clenched his fists. “Asmodeus offered me a home... he offered me a place to stay...”. Magnus felt guilt run him over the second the words left his mouth. He really shouldn’t have said something so mean to Alec. The man had shown nothing but selfless love for him. And he didn’t deserve to hear this.

Alec clenched his jaw, leaning forward to say something but held himself back. If Magnus hadn’t known the truth by now, he wouldn’t have noticed the hesitation and Alec almost coming clean to Magnus. “I am sorry for what happened between us”, Alec managed to say, his voice clearly shaking to sound convincing. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself down. He couldn’t have blown up his part of the deal with Asmodeus. “Listen... Magnus... you don’t need to embrace the darkness that your father offered you...”

“He didn’t offer me, Alec. I had it in me all along”

“You know that’s not true”, Alec shook his head. “You had no darkness in you. You were far from it...”

“You couldn’t see it. I hid it way too well”, Magnus argued.

“I could see you, Magnus. I still can. And you have been nothing but light in people’s lives”, Alec admitted. My life. He admitted inwardly to himself. “Just don’t go back to Edom... and this darkness will just... it will fade away. You’re surrounded by people who love you and would do anything for you...”, Alec insisted.

“Who?”, Magnus arched a brow.

“M—”, he stopped. No, he couldn’t say that. “...Madzie”, he corrected himself. Magnus looked away to avoid meeting Alec’s gaze. He’d heard the soft me in the beginning. “...and Catarina”, Alec added. “Raphael, Simon... even your biscuit”, he shrugged, carefully keeping himself out of the list.

“It’s not the same”

“Magnus don’t let your father have this victory over you”, Alec’s voice had changed into a pleading whisper as he watched Magnus dig into his books and create a pentagram to portal to Edom. 

“This victory won’t be his...”, he looked up from where he was crouched on the ground. His eyes were glowing a flickering shade of red. Veins around his eye sockets popped out and glowed dark maroon. “This victory would be mine, Alec”, his lips curved into a lopsided grin. Alec tightened his fingers around the grip of his brow and his knuckles crackled. “I will ruin him. One last time.”, he mumbled. The Shadowhunter could feel that he was losing Magnus again.

“What are you going to do?”, Alec swallowed – feeling his heart in his mouth. Magnus lifted the bottle of rock salt, replacing it’s cap and rolled his eyes. The last ounce of hope in his eyes had just vanished.

“I am going to put the sword through my father’s heart”, he stated.

Alec steadied himself as the rage of Magnus’ magic brought the apartment to tremors. He held the mantle on his side for support and looked around. Everything in the apothecary was oscillating precariously.

“No”, he mumbled. “You’re not leaving this apartment with that sword. You don’t know that this would kill Asmodeus. What if it backfires? He’s a fallen angel! What if you get hurt? I am not letting you do this.”

“...and you’re going to stop me, Shadowhunter”, Magnus looked away, hoping the act of disdain would throw Alec off his game. Although he was certain that his ex-boyfriend’s resilience was strong enough to withstand anything he threw at him. He had survived speaking to the Prince of Hell.

“...either that, or die trying”, Alec shrugged, casually. Magnus sucked his lower lip in and dropped his gaze down. As if Magnus could ever hurt Alec. Not even when he thought he had broken up with him because Magnus had lost his spark... and especially not now when the truth was in-front of him. “Alec, stop being stub—”, Magnus let out a shocked gasp when he heard a small explosion behind him. There was an arrow stuck to the center of the pentagram and its impact had destroyed the shape.

“What are you trying to do?”, Magnus roared, a demon cry sounding shrilly in his ears.

 

_He shut his eyes and tilted his head to one side to distract himself. “Come on, son... this is your true home... embrace it...” he heard his father’s despicable voice inside his head. “I love you, my boy” Magnus swallowed, feeling his father’s palm on his cheek. “Kill him... you know you want to...” he whispered. Magnus opened his eyes and he wasn’t in New York anymore. He was back in Edom._

_“Alec had destroyed the pentagram”, he frowned. But he was back in New York? How did he reach Edom again? Is this just a memory? A wraith flew right atop his head, wavering him from his chain of thoughts. There was a young Nephilim boy standing right in front of him. He was barely ten years old. There was a rune or two on his arm and one prominent rune on his neck. It was the block rune, just like Alec had. “Who are you?”, he whispered. The little boy was crying._

_“Alistair”, he hiccupped. “Please don’t kill me...”, he was shaking._

_“Why will I kill you?”, Magnus tilted his head, confused. He would never hurt children. Even if they were Nephilim – his mortal enemy.. The boy’s head moved and fixed at something on Magnus’ side. Magnus followed the boy’s gaze and saw the ball of dark magic assembling in his hand. He shook his head, attempting to vanish the ball away from his hand._

_“His father disobeyed you, Magnus”, the warlock heard his father’s voice again. He looked to his side. Asmodeus was shining his cat eyes at him._

_“He’s a child...”, Magnus grunted. “...an innocent child!”_

_“He’ll grow up to revolt against us”, Asmodeus shrugged. “Your kingdom deserves a leader who isn’t afraid to show Edom what happens to those who disobey Magnus, the prince. My son. This world needs fear to function. They need to fear you”, he whispered. Magnus shook his head, unable to wrap his head around his father’s advice._

_“I won’t kill children”, Magnus spat. Asmodeus smiled._

_“If you won't, I will. Shadowhunters need to know who is the King”, he rolled his pupils, fixing it in the direction the boy was standing. Magnus shot his head back to the boy. The kid was lying on the red sands of Edom – submerged in a pool of blood._

_“Alistair. Please don't. He can't be dead?”, the former High Warlock gasped, running to the boy’s rescue. His blue eyes were open, his lips parted in fear. Magnus placed his palm over his eyelids and shut them, eyes burning with tears._

_“Magnus...”, he heard._

_“Shut up!”, Magnus yelled, placing his trembling hands on the boy’s chest in an attempt to find a heartbeat._

_“MAGNUS!”, he heard again._

 

“I said shut your mouth!”, Magnus took a deep breath, yelling at the top of his lungs. He snapped his eyes shut for a minute and when he opened them back, the dead Nephilim child had disappeared from in front of him. Instead, he was holding a ball of magic in Alec’s direction. He wasn’t in Edom anymore. He was back in New York. Alec’s bow had an arrow stretched, ready for launch. In Magnus’ direction. In his defense against Magnus’ magic. To save him from Magnus Bane. The warlock immediately pulled the magic back. “Alec”

Alec lowered his bow, watching Magnus’ moves with attention.

“I won’t hurt you”, his gaze was fixed at Alec as he spoke.

“I know”, Alec responded, immediately.

“I need to go to Edom, Alec”, Magnus shook his head, not daring to tear his gaze from his ex-boyfriend. Somehow, staring right into the man that he once loved... still loved, was giving him the strength to not fall apart – to not slip into the darkness of his memories of Edom.

“Magnus, you can’t”

“You don’t know what the man did to me…”, Magnus told him, holding back his tears.

“If you go back... he’ll pull you into his darkness again”

“I will kill him...”

“Magnus... killing him will only fuel your hatred. Let him rot in Edom. You’re here. Safe... away from him. From his demonic influence”

“You don’t get it, Alec. My father would never stop coming for me. He will stop trying to pull me back into that realm”, Magnus was speaking out of disgust, holding Alec’s gaze on him as support. He couldn’t be closer to the man as much as he wanted to... but even his eyes were strength enough for him. “His claws are so deeply embedded in my mind... I can’t shake them”

“Magnus”, Alec’s eyes were wide-open.

“I need to stop him. Once and for all”, he swallowed. “He will always find his way back to me. I need to end him”

“Is that what you really want?”

“I want him out of my life, Alec. For good. I want to kill that filthy excuse of a father.”, Magnus shook his head. The desire to extract revenge was the only thing on the warlock's mind.

Alec took a deep breath – his pupils flickering sideways as he thought, analyzed, pictured every outcome of every scenario. His lips were parted, and his breath was shaky, but he wasn’t panicking. He was just trying to find the right way to do this.

“Then, let’s go and get that bastard together”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drop by to let me know what you thought about the chapter in the comments or on Twitter @aliaawrites


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> team malec.
> 
> PS: As far as my canon-divergent plot goes, Jace and Clary's angelic blood makes them survive Edom without the alliance rune and they went to Edom during Jonathan's invasion to get help. More of it will be explained in the later chapters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this might be a bit of a filler chapter before the storm that are the next 5 chapters or so. 
> 
> #MFADfic

“You know, for someone who spent the last two years chastising his siblings for their reckless decisions against his will and knowledge, this doesn’t even come close to any of them...”, Jace walked into Magnus’ new apartment, frantically making hand gestures, with Clary and Isabelle on his heels. “Please tell me this is some kind of a sick joke and you’re not—”, he waved his hand dramatically when he met Alec’s eyes who gestured him into the apothecary with a tilt of his head. He stopped at the door, making Clary and Isabelle almost bump into him. The pentagram was almost ready once again. “Clearly not joking”, he slumped his shoulders.

“You’re seriously thinking about going to Edom, Alec?”, Clary asked, stepping forward to greet Magnus who she hadn’t surprisingly met since his return, but he offered her a brief nod instead. She furrowed her brows and stepped back, turning to look at Alec to get an explanation for Magnus’ hostility. Her boss simply shook his head, gesturing her to not make a move.

“I am not _thinking._ I am going to Edom. The decision has been made”, Alec shrugged, casually.

“At least, the first sentence is true”, Isabelle taunted. When Alec had called Jace a few minutes ago, she hadn’t shrieked or yelled at Alec like she would have. In fact, he hadn’t heard her voice at all. She had been quiet. “Alec, if the Clave finds out... we’re dead. We all are. Dad won’t be able to stop _you..._ from bearing the consequences... And Jia has been waiting to find that one straw to pull you out”, she huffed.

“Isabelle. I need to do this”, Alec affirmed.

“What if you get deruned? How is that okay? Are you even considering that something like this could happen?”, she argued.

Alec opened his mouth to speak and then stopped, knowing that he didn’t have a right answer for her. He loved his life, and his career. A Shadowhunter and a leader was what he had aspired for to be his whole life... and worked damn hard for it. And who would know this better than Isabelle and Jace. They had been there through the times he nurtured his dream. But, he loved Magnus too. Even after years of separation, Magnus was still the only one that mattered to him. The _only_ one Alec could have chosen over his own self and happiness. “We’ll cross that bridge... _if_ we come to it.”, he shrugged.

“Isabelle’s right, though”, Magnus spoke up, unable to hold himself back. “I know you’re too stubborn for your own good... but she’s right. It’s your career we’re talking about. And this is _my_ fight. My war. I don’t need you to fight it for me... or with me. I can do this alone... I have done it for years...”, he couldn’t meet anyone’s gaze in the room. So, he just chose not to.

“It’s my choice. I am volunteering to help you.”, Alec lifted his hands, gesturing him to stop talking. Magnus gritted his teeth. He really wanted Alec to not indulge in stupidity and risk his life. Edom wasn’t a place to take a stroll and kill some friendly neighborhood demons. “Jace... did you bring what I asked you too?”

Jace pushed his hand in his pocket and pulled a pair of rings out. “I did”, he knew better than to argue with his Parabatai, especially after Alec had made up his mind about something. They were Seelie rings. “I had Meliorn bring me a different pair this time. They’ll help us communicate through realms.”, he slipped one ring through his finger and Alec put one on him.

“Perfect. And he’s sure that they will work?”, Alec asked Jace through his mind to see if the rings were working.

“He is positive. Meliorn is almost on the verge of being crowned the new King of the Seelies and he will not deflect from the truth. Seelies are treacherous but Meliorn isn’t as bad...”, Jace shrugged, responding, with an extended explanation. Magnus narrowed his eyes, confused at this new dynamic between the blond Shadowhunter and the faerie soldier – an elite guard of the Seelie royalty – soon to become to newly crowned King of the underworld.

“I am leaving you in-charge of the Institute. Both you and Isabelle. Don’t let it burn down while I am gone.”, Alec instructed. “Clary… you are allowed to go on missions until I come back but no summoning Greater Demons, please. You can do that once I am back...”, he lifted the ban on his siblings going on missions.

“Alec, you’re forgetting something really important”, Isabelle spoke up. “You cannot breathe in Edom. The atmosphere is demonic. It will snuff your angel energies out the second you reach the realm and you will die... the last time it...”, she bit off the dry skin of her chapped lips.

“Which is why I brought this”, Jace took out a piece of adamas, interrupting Isabelle. _The last time?_ Magnus wondered the meaning of Isabelle’s broken sentence. The stone was the that Alec had used to track Jace when Valentine had kidnapped him. “I have pure angel blood and we _know_ my blood can resent the demonic properties. If I can channel them onto my Parabatai, we’ll be fine”, he shrugged.

“You don’t know if this is going to work, Jace”, Clary stepped forward.

“It will. I know. Think of it like... switching bodies. I will channel Alec’s energies in myself and give mine to him... and everything will be alright”, Jace reasoned. “Plus, it’s not like I am going on missions here while he’s gone. I can conserve my strength”

“This will work, Clary”, Alec swallowed.

“It has to. Or I will kill you”, Isabelle snapped. “Both of you”, she looked between her stubborn brothers.

“This stone nearly killed Alec when he used to track you, Jace”, Magnus gasped, recognizing the devilish object that had taken his boyfriend away from him. “He was stuck between two worlds... and it could very well happen again”

“Thank you, Magnus...”, Isabelle rubbed her temple. “...although you are one of the reasons this is happening... but _thank you_ for stating the obvious”, she snarled.

“Isabelle”

“Izzy”

Jace and Alec mumbled at the same time. She waved her hand and stepped back with a _fine, do whatever the hell you want to do_ look on her face. Jace turned to face the warlock and answer to his doubts. “We didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into the last time. And when Alec used it…”, Jace looked at his brother. “I wasn’t there with him to finish the spell together. But that’s not the case now. He is here, and he won’t let me get lost between the worlds”, he looked at Alec who nodded. They pulled their steles out and activated their Parabatai rune.

“ _Entreat me not to leave thee_ ”, Alec curled his hand around Jace’s forearm and stepped closer to his brother. “ _Or to return from following after thee—_ ”. The stone, lodged in Jace’s palm dug deep inside Alec’s arm, glowing yellow as their energies flew from their rune into it.

“ _—for wither thou goest, I will go_ ”, Jace nodded, closing his eyes. “ _And where though lodgest, I will lodge_ ”, he whispered. A blue hue spread around the pair of Parabatai, encircling them like a protection spell.

“ _Thy people shall be my people_ ”, Alec continued.

“ _And thy God will be my God_ ”, Jace opened his eyes and smiled. The energy from the stone embedded between them returned to the two brothers and the protection cover disappeared.

“Did it work?”, Clary spoke up as soon as the two of spread stepped away from each other.

“We’ll know in Edom”, Alec shrugged.

Magnus looked down on the ground. The pentagram was ready for the spell. He cleared his throat and Alec snapped his head in the warlock’s direction. “The spell is ready”, he rasped.

“Don’t die on me, Alec”, Jace sighed.

“I’ll try not to”, the Shadowhunter mumbled. He fixed his blades back in his holster and summoned a new set of arrows. He also took out the new Heavenly Fire sword and strapped it to his chest because he couldn’t risk anything happen to Magnus because of the properties of the serum.

Isabelle was standing a few feet away from all this with her hands crossed on her chest. Alec made his way to his sister and pulled her into a hug. She tried to pull away but then obliged a second later. “Alec, you’re an idiot”, she sniffed.

“I know”, Alec sighed. He kissed the top of her head while she curled her hand around his neck to pull him down.

“I hate you so much”, she mumbled, pressing a loud mouthed kiss on her brother’s cheek. “Don’t you dare die on me. I cannot lose you... I just cannot.”, she warned, tears stinging her eyes.

“I know, Isabelle Lightwood”, Alec pulled away from her and walked back to Magnus, stopping just outside the circle.

“You keep updating Jace about your well-being every few hours okay? If we don’t hear from you for a while... I am summoning you back and that won’t be up for debate. Ok?”, Isabelle called, walking forward to join her brother and Clary.

“Got it”, Alec nodded.

“Best of luck, Alec”, he heard Clary’s voice from behind him. Her arms were wrapped around her boyfriend, holding him close to her. Alec nodded. Magnus sparked the pentagram to create a fire and stepped inside. The flames engulfed him soon thereafter and Alec walked in with his back to his family.

...

Magnus stretched his neck muscles and lifted his chin. The warmth – or rather blazing heat – of his home realm was feeling familiar to his skin. His magic belonged to Edom. It felt at home here. Magnus couldn’t have been more disgusted by that. Feeling at peace in hell. How had his life becoming so complicated? The demonic essence that Asmodeus had infused in him had made Magnus truly, a resident of this dimension. The warlock looked up at the red sky. The wraith demons were screeching, playing with each other and aiming fireballs. Such a recreational sport. Magnus snorted. He craned his neck to his side and saw Alec’s appearing figure a second later. He was crouched on the ground, holding his chest. He wasn’t able to breathe properly. “Alec”, Magnus paled, reaching out to pat the Shadowhunter’s back to get his lungs accustomed to the air here.

“This place is so dusty”, he mumbled in a groggy tone, breaking into a fit of cough a second later. Magnus felt his lips curving into a soft smile. He rubbed Alec's back up and down to calm him down.

“The demons here aren’t a fan of the _save the planet initiative_ ”, Magnus joked. “Neither is my father...”, he added, his voice turning serious. Alec cleared his throat and looked up. His eyes were wide open and there was shock, amazement and surprise written all over them. He had never been to Edom before. Only heard of it in books and through Jace and Clary's mouth. Back when Jonathan Morgenstern had opened a rift to Edom, the Morgenstern girl and Jace had portaled to this realm to stop the rift from inside. It was a battle Alec would never forget in his life. New alliances had been formed and former relationships shattered like they didn’t mean a thing. Jace had described the realm to Alec on a quiet Sunday afternoon after Jonathan had been defeated and Alec had only imagined this place. It wouldn’t have occurred to him that two years later, he would be setting foot here.

“It would seem so”, he whispered, looking at everything around him in awe. There was a certain sadness associated with the environment here. Magnus looked in the direction Alec’s eyes wandered to and saw the dark towers of his castle which were easily, miles away from where they were now. There was a dark, thunderous cloud gathering over the tower.

“That would be my castle”, Magnus informed.

“You lived _there?_ ”, Alec gasped, turning his head to his right, where Magnus was knelt on his side, rubbing his back. He swallowed when he realized how close Magnus’ face was to his. He could almost feel his breath brushing his face. The warlock’s eyes looked different here. They were glowing red with characteristic cat slits – complementing the tone of their surroundings.

“I did”, Magnus smiled, sadly.

“You could have portaled us straight into your castle then”, Alec flickered his pupils, snapping out of his unruly thoughts. “It would have spared us the trouble of trekking to the destination”, the Nephilim shrugged, squinting his eyes to assess the distance they would have needed to cover.

“I couldn’t let my father know that I am back”, Magnus shrugged. Both of them stood up from the ground and dusted their pants. “I... _We_ would have lost the element of surprise”, he blinked.

“So, we walk to your…I mean your father's castle?”, Alec arched a brow. “He would sense my angel blood from miles away by the way!”, the boy taunted. His bond with Jace was working. Edom hadn’t incinerated him yet. _Jace…do you hear me? Magnus and I are in Edom…and the stone is working._ Alec contacted his Parabatai in his mind. There was no response for a few seconds and Alec almost thought that Meliorn's new Seelie rings were useless.

 _Thank the Angel, Alec. We’ve been waiting to hear from you for hours._ He heard Jace's voice. _Keep me updated. Okay? Don’t ghost me._ The brother reminded. Alec rolled his eyes at the dramatics.

 _I won’t, Jace. Talk to you later._ He finished sending his message and turned to Magnus who was waiting for him to be done communicating back to their dimension. “I was testing the ring”, Alec explained. Magnus hummed, stepping closer to the Shadowhunter. Alec swallowed, confused by the sudden advancement. He pressed his hand around his bow grip and looked up.

“Stele?”, Magnus mumbled. Alec nodded, fishing out his stele from his pocket. Magnus wrapped one of his hand around Alec's hand that clutched his stele and lifted it up to his neck. The device was glowing a flickering red and white instead of pure white. “Nephilim can’t use their steles here. Ever since their Angel was destroyed. My magic, however, will help.”, he explained. Alec gulped, feeling Magnus’ fingers over his gloved hand. His touch. Alec had forgotten Magnus’ touch. The feel of his soft caramel skin over Alec's pale and cold one. He tilted his head to his right, baring his neck rune. The warlock swiped both their hands on the rune, activating it’s power.

“Asmodeus won’t sense you now”, Magnus pulled his hand back and looked away. A vein on Alec's neck was throbbing. Magnus recalled how it felt to kiss that vein when they would make love. He closed his eyes and sniffed to pull himself out of that memory. Alec put his stele back and shuffled the bow in his other hand.

“Let’s go”, he croaked. “After you”, he raised his arm. Magnus took a step forward, leading them towards the castle. The terrain of the ground on Edom wasn’t very easy to traverse. Potholes and unannounced trenches full of molten lava were only some of the worries for anyone trekking to the Castle of Edom. Alec supposed it was the point. Asmodeus was the ruler. His safety was of primary importance here. Alec wiped the beads of sweat gathered on his forehead and plucked his sweaty shirt. The leather jacket had been a bad idea. Pulling it out of his body, Alec wrapped it around his waist and continued their journey. Magnus was wearing a satin shirt over skinny pants and only he could have pulled those off in this sweltering heat.

Magnus noticed the silence growing between the two men and that was lethal. No conversation meant that his mind wavered to the memory of him unravelling the truth about Asmodeus’ deal with Alec. How unconditionally his Shadowhunter had loved him? He couldn’t bear to look into Alec’s eyes for more than a few seconds before the world came crashing down on him. “Isabelle mentioned... something about the _first time_ you were in Edom?”, he swallowed, trying to initiate a conversation.

“It wasn’t me...”, Alec replied. “Jace and Clary were here... two years ago”, he shrugged. “Jonathan Morgenstern had killed over 200 Shadowhunters and mundanes in thirteen institutes worldwide... and we had no idea how to stop him. This was after we managed to separate him and Clary using Glorious”, he told.

“So, you portaled to Edom?”, Magnus chided.

“Lilith wanted revenge on her son... and Clary thought it would be a nice idea to ask the Queen of Hell for help”, Alec snorted. “I mean it’s not like we had another choice in the matter. Jonathan was closing in on us... Alicante was next...”. Alec explained how Jonathan had opened a rift from Edom into the heart of Idris. Many a Shadowhunters had died defending their city. In Magnus’ absence, there hadn’t been anyone remotely capable of closing the rift as strong as this except for Jonathan himself and he had just disappeared. The Lightwoods were one down with Isabelle showing side-effects of being hit by the shards of the blasted off sword. She couldn’t have risked getting any closer to demonic energy before combusting into flames herself. Alec then told him how his contacts in the Downworld had helped him collect an army... led by Maia, Meliorn and Simon and even Lorenzo. They had combined their powers and were able to contain the rift only after exhausting themselves to death.

“How did you stop Jonathan then?”, Magnus swallowed, imagining the chaos that would have ensued during the Battle.

“Clary created a rune and she went in alone”, Alec informed. “It was very brave of her... but she tricked him, and the rune snuffed everything demonic about Jonathan. But that was the thing. He was infused with the dark energies in utero. There was nothing good left in and so, when his demonic self was relieved, he died”

“That was very brave of Clary”, Magnus sighed. “But... when Jace and Clary came to Edom... did they strike a deal with Lilith?”

“No... she demanded full access to our dimension and Jace refused. Thankfully”, Alec snorted. “If we’d known that you were here... we would have taken you back with us”, he added softly.

“I _was_ here... although, I am certain my father wouldn’t have let me just leave.”, Magnus replied.

They paused at the edge of the rocks and saw a deep trench ahead of them. A river of lava was flowing down below. The two men stepped back to assess the width of the canyon and if they could leap across. “It’s 65 feet tops”, Alec squinted his eyes. “We can jump”, he shrugged.

“I can portal us to the other side. It’s easier and safer...”, Magnus raised his hand to conjure his magic. Alec grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

“You wanted this to be discreet... to not let your father know that you’re here”, Alec arched both his brows. “We’re closer to the castle... he can sense your magic if you conjure up a portal. But you’ve blocked me. I am invisible. We can jump across this canyon. It’s nothing I haven’t done before.”, he shrugged. He pulled his stele back out and brought Magnus’ hand to his abdomen to activate his stamina rune. “We’ll be there in no time”, he was confident enough for Magnus to feel his dead heart flutter.

“I am not sure... do you want me to jump with you? I don’t have a rune for that like you do.”, Magnus gasped. He couldn’t admit that despite being an all-powerful warlock, heights was something he was terrified of. Since he had been a child. Before he could process what was happening, Alec was taking giant steps back and his hand was curled around Magnus’.

“Just don’t let me go”, Alec fixed his gaze on the other side of the cliff. Magnus swallowed. He just had to mimic Alec’s moves and they would be fine. They had to be. He trusted Alec’s skills. The Shadowhunter lowered his center and leaped forward. His long legs aided him in taking giant steps and Magnus just managed to match up to his steps. Right at the edge of the cliff, Alec stopped and crouched slightly before he jumped across. He grabbed Magnus’ waist and pulled him to his chest in air. The warlock gasped, not used to this feeling of not being in control of his body. He wrapped his arm around Alec’s neck and closed his eyes.

They gracefully landed a few feet inside the other edge of the cliff and Alec huffed for breath, looking over his shoulder. He’d done well. “We’re here...”, he mumbled. Magnus pulled away from the Shadowhunter and looked back from where they had come from. That had easily been a 90-feet leap by the Shadowhunter. His hands were still thrown around Alec’s neck. The Shadowhunter cleared his throat and stepped back, letting go off Magnus.

“We should rest for a bit”, Magnus suggested, noticing how heavily Alec was breathing. “I know a cave... not far from here”, he pointed in one direction. Alec would have refused the offer to rest but he must have been really exhausted because he didn’t rebut. They reached the cave in the next 10 minutes. It was a relatively cooler place in the realm and Magnus summoned the light inside.

“I used to come here when I was a child”, Magnus told as they walked into the ground.

“You shouldn’t be doing magic here”, Alec reminded. He looked around, hearing the water drip somewhere inside the cave.

“It’s not a very powerful spell, Alec. I have got this.”, Magnus responded, absent-mindedly. There was an endearing tone to his sentence – quite unusual to the regular snarky one. Alec noticed how the sound of his name was still so beautiful when it came from Magnus and his lips curve into a full-blown smile. There was a small spring in one corner of the cave. Alec put his hand in and the water was ice-cold.

“Is it drinkable?”, he asked – his deep baritone echoing in the cave.

“I should hope so...”, he heard Magnus’ response. Without further ado, he cupped his palm under the flow of water and drank thirstily. Magnus joined him a minute later and watched him quietly. Alec finished drinking and used his wet palm to comb his hair back and moisten his face.

...

Alec pulled his t-shirt out, curling it in his hand to wipe the sweat off his face. His jacket had already been discarded on the rock next to him and he was now sitting next to the water fountain bare-chested. The splattering showers of water felt relaxing to his burning body. _Jace... you there with me?_ He thought of his Parabatai. This was a good time to give him an update.

 _I am here._ Jace responded before Alec could finish talking.

 _Are you sitting and waiting for my updates?_ Alec rolled his eyes.

 _No, I am working. I have an Institute to run. It’s that... or ichor duty for the rest of my life. And I don’t know about you... but I am scared of my boss._ Alec snorted, softly. Magnus was sitting on the floor, against the opposite wall. His eyes were closed, and Alec really thought that the warlock was resting. They had shut entrance with a huge rock and decided on taking turns while resting and saving their strengths.

“You should be petrified of your boss”, Alec whispered.

 _I am. I am._ He heard Jace.

“Hey... it’s not that important... but I was supposed to meet up with Matt this evening. You know before I decided to trek to Hell”, Alec whispered. Magnus swallowed, his throat bobbing as he heard _that_ name out of the Nephilim’s mouth. He hadn’t been sleeping. The closed eyes were just the means to avoid looking at Alec and the thinking about his heartache.

_I know... he dropped by._

“He did? Was he furious?”, Alec gasped. He was consciously making sure to not be too loud and let Magnus sleep, but the warlock was now awake and even more attentive than before.

_He was... anyone would be? You’re in Edom. Alec. Edom? Remember when Mom came to know about me and Clary going there...?_

“Yeah... I know. Luke’s good a tough right hook”, Alec rubbed his palm against his cheek, recollecting a very solid punch from a few years ago. “Did Matt punch you too?”, he asked a second later.

_No... he didn’t. Thank the Angel. But he was pissed. You’ll have to make up to him when you come back. Or so he’s warned._

“I’ll make it up to him”, Alec shook his head.

_Yeah... although there’s something he needed me to tell you._

“What is it?”

_He said he loves you... and that he’s extremely proud of you._

Alec scoffed. “Well, tell him I love him too... and I’ll be back before the next session”, he shrugged. Magnus shut his eyes and threw his head back – groaning in pain as he hid the solid rock wall of the cave. Alec looked up in the warlock’s direction. “Jace, I’ll talk to you later”, he jumped off his rock and pulled his t-shirt on before reached to crouch next to the warlock.

“You alright?”, he asked. Magnus hummed, slipping away from the Shadowhunter. “I must have dozed off and hit the rock... it’s ok”, he shrugged. Alec placed his palm on the back of Magnus’ head, right where he must have gotten hit and pulled it out. There were few spots of blood.

“You’ve cut yourself”, he whispered. Magnus pulled Alec’s hand away from his and shook his head.

“I am fine”, he deflected. Alec rolled his eyes and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. He ran to the water stream and dipped it in, before returning to Magnus and pressing the wet cloth against Magnus’ cut.

“It’s gonna stop the bleeding”, Alec whispered.

“I am ok, Alec. You should get back to your conversation with Jace”, he removed Alec’s hand that was holding his shoulder.

“I updated him that I am not dead. And that’s it. I don’t need to talk about anything else”, Alec frowned.

“You had plans with someone _?_ ”, Magnus grumbled. His tone more accusatory than interrogatory one. He couldn’t believe the disdain that spewed out of his own mouth for someone he had so passionately started hating.

“Yeah.. yeah, but it doesn’t matter. I will make up for it”

“Dinner?”, Magnus breathed out.

“No... I was going to train him. It’s a weekly thing. And then, dinner... I think. Depending on if I had the energy to cook...”, Alec shrugged. He dropped in the space next to Magnus and pressed his back against the cold stone wall and closed his eyes. This was harder to hear than he had anticipated. He hummed, feeling short of questions to ask. He hadn’t had the time to process the events of this evening. After barely returning alive from Alicante, uncovering the truth about Asmodeus’ return to the planet, that deal with Alec and everything else. His heart was hurting, his chest tight with emotions that were ready to pour out.

He just needed a moment to himself.

A moment to let it all out.

A moment to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, let me know what you thought. I'll be here, and on Twitter!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> magnus and alec reach Asmodeus' lair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey people, 
> 
> so I posted a sneak-peek on Twitter yesterday and a tweet so those who follow me there no that the next 6 chapters are going to be a hell of a ride. So, grab tissues and popcorn or whatever and just ride with me through this phase of action-packed angst.
> 
> If you wanna tweet about the story, you can @ me (@aliaawrites) or use the #MFADfic. If not, you can drop by in the comments and let me know what you thought about the latest update. 
> 
> Anyway, without further ado, go ahead. Enjoy Chapter 12.

Accepting that you need help and support had always been somewhat of an Achilles’ heel for Magnus Bane. You could guess that it would be because he taught himself from a very young age that he was going to spend the rest of his eternity alone and the only person he could trust absolutely implicitly was himself. Allies and friends had come and gone, and, in the end, Magnus Bane was always left alone. It was the 21st century now without any change in the status of his heartache, and as his legs gave up on him, he fell on the sandy terrain of his father’s realm. The warm breeze brought him the scent of burning bodies and the smoke from the hell fire – the familiar stench of death and destruction. _Alone_. Magnus' mind reeled with one thought after the other. One day, he was going to die alone. Asmodeus will have fallen at his hands and he would end up being by himself once again.

With the feeling of his chest sinking and his lungs giving up their will to breathe, he slumped his shoulders, letting warm tears flow out of his eyes. Alec was inside the cave. Magnus had sneaked out a few minutes ago to have a few minutes by himself. The whole day had been very taxing on his mind. Holding his palms over his head, Magnus choked into sobs. As the tears rolled down, he could feel the heaviness in his chest lift. He was moments away from destroying his father and taking back his life in his hands. From the clouded memories to this unending hatred brewing inside him, Asmodeus was solely responsible for how the last two years had shaped in the warlock's life and as of today, he had been the one to pull the plug on one of Magnus’ most meaningful parts of his life. His relationship with Alec. Nothing or no one could have deterred him from avenging all that he had lost over the course of so many years.

His throat clenched as he let out a shrill cry of agony. The pain that he had harbored for so long. The heartache. The darkness. The anger. Not his mother’s untimely death... not the fact that his step-father called him a monster... and not that awful rune that Inquisitor Herondale drew on him when he was in Valentine’s body... none had broken him the way Alec leaving him had. He had never felt something so powerful before in his life. He wasn’t out in the open skies of Edom or a wraith would have identified his cries by now. He was under the stone roof of the rock that led to the cave. Away from Alec but still in his proximity. “Easy there, Magnus”, he heard Alec's voice as his arms wrapped around his shoulder, pressing him to his chest. Magnus was too weak to reject this offer to comfort. He snuggled in Alec's shirt which was sticking to his warm and moist skin. “Yeah, I have got you…”, the man stroked his arm with one hand and pressed another to the top of Magnus’ hair, pushing him close to his chest. The warlock turned around in Alec's arms and lifted his hand up to curl his fingers around the t-shirt on Alec’s back. “Yeah, it’s alright”, he kept saying. Settling his entire weight on his calves, Alec tugged at the man, pulling him closer. “This will all be over soon... and then you’ll be able to come back home, Magnus.”, he promised.

“ _Alexander_ ”, he managed to whisper between the sobs. The Shadowhunter shut his eyes in pain. He hadn’t heard his full name from Magnus’ mouth in almost two years. Two whole years. “He took everything from me”, Magnus choked, pulling away from Alec's chest to catch his breath. Alec didn’t respond to it. He didn’t have the right words to. Instead, he just kept making careful strokes on his arm and back. It was now more than ever necessary to bring Asmodeus to justice. To make him pay for his actions. Asmodeus had tricked Alec and played dirty. Kidnapping Magnus to Edom was never the part of the bargain that had given the warlock his magic and immortality back. Magnus slumped his body, dropping his forehead on Alec's chest again. This familiar feeling of being surrounded by Alec's energy was so nice. He felt like he was cuddled in a thick comfort blanket in a wet and stormy night.

“Asmodeus will pay for this”, Alec thumbed off the tears from Magnus' face and dried the rest of it with his palm. “…and you’ll have a chance to be happy again. To move on. To find hope and love again in your life.”, Alec managed to say. Magnus let out a chortle, conflicted between being angry and proud of Alec because of the way he had kept up his end of the deal. He wanted to tell him that he _knew_. That he fucking _knew_. What good would it have done? Except for boosting Alec’s confidence, a little. They would still not be together and that was that. It wouldn’t change the fact that Alec was apparently with someone. He had someone to go back home to. Someone with less dramatic of a father. Magnus couldn’t pull Alec away from his chance at love. The boy had given up everything for Magnus in the first place.

 _Then why_ was it so hard to watch Alec from afar? To be so close yet miles away from him. This distance between their hearts, that imaginary wall that Alec had built around himself – it was just not as easy as it looked.

“I shouldn’t have let you come”, Magnus sniffed, wiping off his nose with the back of his hand. He turned his head away and shuffled in his position to stand up and replace some necessary distance between him and the man.

“I volunteered, remember?”, Alec shrugged. He offered his hand to aid Magnus in standing back up. It was a _stupid move_. Alec could feel his heart sinking at the sight of such a vulnerable Magnus Bane. He was minutes away from potentially destroying Magnus’ father for good. And _that_ realization had driven him to hope that if there was another side to this – if they ever survived, maybe he and Magnus stood another chance. To mend what had been broken. To build what Asmodeus had demolished. To fall back in love with each other.

That hope had brought Alec to Edom.

But there was a chance that Magnus wouldn’t want to go back to the start. That he would find his home here, away from Alec Lightwood and all the Shadowhunter kind. He had after all spent two years in this hellhole. What if this realm appealed to him more? What if he _hated_ Alec enough to never come near him again?

He swallowed and found his gaze moving around to find Magnus. The warlock was still on the ground in front of him. And he was _staring_. Red, blazing orbs were looking right at him. Alec stumbled a few inches behind and felt a lump gather in his throat. He couldn’t decipher Magnus’ gaze. Maybe it was just the calm before the storm. “Magnus”, he whispered his ex-lover's name. He didn’t have anything to defend himself with if the warlock’s dark side overtook.

_Shut up, Alec. Magnus wouldn’t hurt you._

It wasn’t sure who moved first, but within seconds of this stillness, Magnus was on his knees, cupping Alec’s face between his hands and pressing his lips onto his. Alec placed his palm flat on the ground as Magnus leaned over him with his entire weight. His other hand instinctively wrapped around Magnus’ chest. The kiss was loud and grainy – slow and assimilating too. They could taste the saltiness of the sweat dried around each other’s lips. Magnus rubbed his fingers through Alec’s hair behind his ears, entangling them in the knots. The shafts were wet with perspiration.

Alec shut his eyes as soon as the first sensation of Magnus’ lips reached his brain and short-circuited it. He hadn’t felt like this in years. There was a part of him yelling at him to stop. There was a deal he had made, and this was risking all of that. Until Asmodeus was alive and well, the deal stood firm. He couldn’t be with Magnus and he couldn’t let him know why. But he had missed Magnus so much. He had missed this moment with him. If he could allow himself just a second of it more.

Gritting his teeth together, Alec gently squeezed his hand between their chests and pushed Magnus away from him in the gentlest way possible. “We…”, he panted for breath. “…can’t”, he shook his head, disappointed with himself. Magnus dropped his weight on the ground and his head in his hands. _That_ was embarrassing. Especially for him.

“Of course, you can’t”, he snarled, bitterly. “You have a d—”, he paused, swallowing his words. He needed to confront Alec about the deal but not yet. That was a conversation that he wanted to have _once_ Asmodeus had been punished. The vulnerability that came along with his moments with Alec would have thrown him off his game. He needed this anger in him. This quest for revenge.

Dusting his pants, Magnus stood up and walked back inside the cave without uttering a single word. He knew he was guilty of catching Alec off guard. But his mind was reeling with the possibility of having pushed Alec to make this mistake. To be infidel to his current beau. Alec didn’t deserve that and neither did _Matt_... no matter how much Magnus detested the idea of Alec not being his anymore. He heard footsteps into the cave and then a rustling sound as Alec restored the rock to cover the main door. They were alone. In the dark. With each other. Wrapping his hands around himself, Magnus dropped his weight on the stone wall by the tiny waterfall. “I apologize”, he yelled.

“You don’t have to”, Alec responded. His voice seemed distant, as if his head was turned away from Magnus too. “It was the both of us”, he added. Magnus scoffed, shaking his head. He looked over his shoulder and saw Alec’s moving figure as a shadow in the darkness of the cave.

“I got my spark back, Alexander. The spark that you had _fallen_ for... come back to me please...”, Magnus whispered to himself, as felt fresh tears cling to his eyelids as he recalled the night of their breakup.

“What is it that you said?”, he heard Alec. That statement hadn’t meant to be spoken out loud to anyone. He hadn’t meant for Alec to hear it at all.

“Nothing. I said you should rest for a bit”, Magnus sniffed. 

“I am good. We should get going, I think...”, Alec shrugged. Magnus shook his head and gently waved his hand. It was a simply magic to lull Alec into a much needed slumber. “On second thoughts”, the man yawned as Magnus’ spell took effect. “Maybe I’ll just close my eyes a little”, he shuffled, sitting down on the ground. He snuggled against the hard rocks and closed his eyes. Magnus didn’t turn around until he was surely able to hear snores from the Shadowhunter’s direction.

...

_A lake with water poisoned by Lucifer himself – capable of changing the core of your existence. A realm where the Demons stand undefeated – where the controllers of fate were Princes of Hell and not the Angels. That was Edom. The worst side of existence. The horrible nightmare._

“There’s a lake not far from my father’s castle...”, Magnus informed when he heard Alec shuffle and wake up from his slumber about an hour later. The Shadowhunter lifted his head up and saw Magnus levitating. His legs crossed and hanging, and his hands spread out in a yogic posture. Red flames sparkling through the length of his body and his eyes closed. “The waters were cursed by Lucifer after he fell”

“The water is poisonous?”, Alec asked, clearing his throat. He let out a yawn and stretched his hand. That little nap had done wonders for his energy.

“Worse. It can turn you into the demon that you’re not capable of being... or you are and just don’t know it...”, Magnus scoffed.

“Seems like you’ve seen it happen to someone?”, Alec shrugged. He was trying not to think about the kiss the two had shared a few moments ago.

“Oh, I drank the water”, Magnus was quick to respond with a hint of sadness and lots of sarcasm in his voice.

“Magnus”, Alec gasped.

“I don’t endorse the things I have done here. The kind of man I became... but maybe I could have resisted my dad’s charms for a little while longer only if I had not had a drop of that water in my mouth...”, the warlock took a deep breath, recalling the visions that he had channeled while Alec had been asleep.

A _cry that could pierce through his very existence; a fire that was burning through his soul; a simple taste of that liquid and everything would be over. He looked over his shoulder and saw Asmodeus smirking at him. Urging him to drink. The chalice that held the water was vibrating with dark energies and as the chalice lifted up to his lips, Magnus felt his blood burn as the venom from the water mingled with his body fluids, assimilating in him._

“I am really sorry for letting those shape-shifting demons on you in Idris”, he spoke up, coming back from his memory. “They weren’t going to hurt you... that wasn’t part of the plan”, he explained.

“But they’re demons, Magnus. That’s what they do. They _hurt_ people.”, Alec shrugged. Something had snapped inside the Shadowhunter since their trip to Alicante. He wasn’t explicitly blaming Magnus for everything that had gone wrong, but the warlock could see the change in his stance. He had distanced himself from Magnus. Further apart than they already were. Just emotionally as well now. Alec now stood below the levitating warlock, watching him float up and down in the air. He had never seen Magnus do that. 

“My father overrode my instruction. Asked them to hurt you”, Magnus gently lowered himself and his feet touched the ground. His back was turned to Alec. “We... should get going... it’s been a while...”, he announced, making his way to the entrance of the cave. Alec shuffled his weight between his feet, playing with a free stones, kicking them around. He, pulled his hands out of his pocket as Magnus reached the entrance of the cave, picking up his jacket on the way before adjusting his quiver and the heavenly fire sword on his chest. Magnus pushed the rock away and stepped out into the heat.

 _Jace... everything alright in New York?_ Alec turned the Seelie ring on his finger and looked up. Magnus was already a few steps ahead of him, scouting over the rocks to get to the castle. 

_We’re good. Jia wanted to have a word with you... so, I just... just used the transformation rune and deceived her. It’s good._

_You’re breaking rules one by one. But I suppose it’s okay coz I am the one in Edom_. Alec rolled his eyes. He shifted his bow in the other with a bounce and sprinted a little to catch up with the warlock.

_I have to improvise. He heard his Parabatai. You tell me... how is Edom? Is Magnus alright? Has he hurt you?_

_Nope... he hasn’t. I am fine. Don’t worry. Listen, we’re almost at Asmodeus’ lair right now. I will be gone for a while... alright? Catch you when we’re done with the Greater Demon. Stay safe, alright?_ Alec huffed a deep breath. The castle was drawing closer every minute they walked.

 _Ok brother. Take care of yourself. I’ll have a team on standby. Just in case._ Jace replied.

  
_I would expect nothing less, Jace._

_Isabelle says she loves you. And Clary sends her wishes too._

“Tell them both that I love them too”, Alec spoke out loud. “Yes, _even Clary_.”, he emphasized. Magnus found his lips curve into a smile as he continued walking. “Ok, I am out now. Talk to you later”, Alec severed the conversation. “How much longer till we run into the guard demons?”, Alec asked Magnus.

“The castle is not guarded”, Magnus shrugged.

“That is... _very presumptuous_ of your father”, Alec rolled his eyes.

“He doesn’t need protection. There are no Nephilim in this world”, Magnus explained. “No Shadowhunting angels... no threat”

“Makes sense...”, Alec heaved a deep breath.

“You don’t have to come inside with me. This is _my_ fight with _my_ father. I can take it from here”, the warlock announced. They were at least a mile away from the main fort, but boundaries of his palace had begun.

“The sword is mine to wield. I am not giving it to you”, Alec point-blanked.

“Alec”, Magnus huffed out a desperate sigh. “Stop being so difficult”

“I am not the one with a death wish...”, Alec deadpanned. “Wielding the sword could kill you...”

“Fine”, Magnus lifted his hands in air.

“I am going to mind the perimeter while you...”, Alec waved his hand as they cracked open the main door of castle. He turned around to leave when Magnus grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

“Stay safe. There are wraiths everywhere here”, the warlock flickered his eyes. Alec looked down at his arm and swallowed.

“I will”, he mumbled.

...

Magnus found the Greater Demon in his library, going through one of his dozens of books scattered across the hall. He was engrossed flipping pages of the rusty book and didn’t notice Magnus enter the lair. The warlock conjured up a protective shield around the hall so that Asmodeus’ magic couldn’t have helped him escape without paying for all he punishments that Magnus had sought for him. The shielding spell was a powerful one and Magnus didn’t have a lot of time before he lost all his energy trying to keep the spell up.

“My son. What a pleasant surprise! I didn’t know you were supposed to be back so soon?”, Asmodeus greeted Magnus, turning to face his son. There was a wicked smile on his face that made Magnus sick to his stomach.

“Father”, Magnus grinned lopsidedly.

“How was that pesky little town of yours?”, he commented, unable to detect the power that he was surrounded with. Magnus didn’t respond to that. Asmodeus stood up and looked over his shoulder, flashing his cat eyes. “I never expected you to be done with New York so soon...”, he chuckled, rotating the rings in his hand. “...considering what that city means to you”, he teased.

“Yeah, well”, Magnus tilted his head. “It didn’t take me very long to figure out what I had been missing for years...”, he taunted.

“...and what was that?”, Asmodeus settled back on his throne, crossing one thigh over the other with a superficial grace that Magnus knew his father was miles away from. There was nothing glorious about his father. He moved his eyes around the room, with a suspicion looming in his head.

“Oh, you know... the lies and deceit you fed me with.”, Magnus curled his left fingers and conjured up a ball of magic in his hand which wouldn’t go unnoticed by the Greater Demon. That was kinda the point.

“I see the city has done it again”, Asmodeus rolled his eyes and stretching his fingers back and crackling the knuckles in frustration. Magnus arched a brow, waiting for Asmodeus to finish. “...everytime I try to bring my son back in my life... Brooklyn somehow manages to take you away”, he sighs, gritting his teeth. His eyes lifted to fix on Magnus’ demeanor and cat eyes changed their color into a deep red. “Who is it this time...? Another Shadowhunter... Magnus?”, he tilted his head to one side. “Or was it a mundane this time round... you really haven’t explored that territory, boy”, he chided. Magnus swallowed, gritting his teeth together. He could hear Alec shuffling behind the main door. He had returned from the perimeter check.

Magnus flicked his hand and spelled the room soundless. Alec’s block rune was preventing him from being tracked... and this would allow him to move stealthily around. Asmodeus hadn’t noticed him. Yet. Or he hoped he hadn’t... because there was no way his father would have let Magnus know that he was onto him.

“Neither”, Magnus smirked. “It was a warlock this time...”, he chuckled. “... I bet you approve warlocks... because they’re immortal. Like me?”, he added.

Alec’s heart skipped a beat when he heard that. The only thing he had ever wished for Magnus was for him to have moved on and found love again. And if he had found it with a warlock again, atleast one of them would have been happy.

“Warlocks are fine. So, what’s his name?”, Asmodeus smiled.

“Her?”, Magnus corrected.

“Oh? You really have moved on from that Lightwood piece of crap after all”, Asmodeus spat. Magnus flared his anger up – his eyes glowing red and cat eyed slits appearing on them.

“Watch your tongue, Asmodeus”, Magnus hissed.

“Oh, come on! He broke your heart. Forgive me for having a little detest for that Shadowhunter... after all, he hurt you...”, he feigned concern. Magnus scoffed, shaking his head. The Demon’s pretension for Magnus’ heart was much more evident on his face, now that he knew the truth. “Anyway, who is this _female_ warlock who has brought my son happiness afterall”, he wiggled his brows.

“You know _her_ very well, Dad”, Magnus smiled.

“Oh? Do I now?”, Asmodeus tipped his chin and arched a brow, clasping his fingers together in a fist on his lap.

“Vera...! The warlock conduit on earth? I am sure you remember her...”, Magnus spun his hand and the ball of magic grew.

“Doesn’t ring a bell”, the Greater Demon flinched at the name but maintained his expression as well as he possibly could. He knew his cover was blown. His game was over.

“Oh, doesn’t it?”, Magnus chided. “Let me help you... don’t worry. That’s what sons are for, aren’t they?”, he tipped his chin. He threw a small bottle in air and crashed it with his magic. Blue fog surrounded the ceiling and then Asmodeus heard voices of people. People he knew... and didn’t want the recollection.

_“I am here to get his magic and immortality back” “End your relationship” “Break his heart to save his life” “We love each other... I wouldn’t just abandon him” “He will never reach his true potential with you”_

Alec slumped his back on the wall, hearing his own voice. He swallowed the lump in his throat and sniffed away the tears that was leaking to his eyes and nose, ready to fall out. He gripped his bow tightly and shuddered as a blast sounded from the Demon’s lair. He couldn’t see what had happened and that freaked him out.

Asmodeus was taken aback as Magnus hit him with his magic which threw him crashing against his own throne. Alec rushed in with an arrow pulled on his bow at the noise and was startled to see the Greater Demon recovering from the explosion. “Magnus”, the man gasped out his ex-boyfriend’s name, shifting his gaze between Magnus and his father. His face had paled at the sight of the memories of his meeting with Asmodeus that were still replaying right on top of him. Magnus stood with his magic still burning in his fists and chin dropped down. His chest rose and fell as he breathed heavily. Alec felt tears stinging at the back of his eyes, as he struggled to meet Magnus’ eyes, and his heart felt heavy with pain that he had buried deep down. Asmodeus stood up from the remains of his throne and launched an attack at his own son.

_“You are the source of all his suffering. You make him vulnerable, weak”_

The Shadowhunter watched as Asmodeus’ insults freshened his old wounds and incur newer ones on Magnus. Alec fisted his hands and clenched his jaw, looking over his shoulder to avoid Magnus. “I was looking out for you Magnus”, the Greater Demon roared in pain, conjuring a thunderstorm right above the castle with a swivel of his wrist. Magnus glared at his father and hit his magic, severing the link to the atmosphere. Alec stretched the bowstring and launched an arrow that missed Asmodeus by a millimetre. The rubbles and dust on the floor started shaking, making Alec take an offensive position with his back to Magnus. He could hear the demons from afar.

“And yet, you walked into this Nephilim’s life again. Despite everything I did to prevent that…”, he gritted his teeth, confessing to everything his son had just accused him off. Magnus threw another bout of magic at his father, shielding himself and Alec from any incoming attacks. “I love you, Magnus”, Asmodeus gruntled as he skid back on the ground, thanks to the impact of Magnus’ magic. The thunderstorm gathering above them could only mean one thing – Asmodeus was summoning his High Army. The army of special Eidolon demons. Alec's bow was tilted up in the sky, watching for any demonic intrusion on the lair that could hurt him or Magnus. He could feel his fingers shivering because of Magnus' revelation but he had more pressing matters at hand.

“He was the one good thing in my life, father”, Magnus yelled, knowing well enough that the person he was talking about was right behind him, giving him tactical cover. Opening Alec’s wounds was the last thing he wanted but uncovering his Dad’s dirty plans was something he had to do. A collective scream announced the entry of the demons into the lair from every opening they could find. Magnus knew these screams too well. They were all of his father’s beloved pets.

“I’ve got this, Magnus. I’ve got this”, Alec mumbled with a lump in his throat. If there was one way to end this, it was to make sure Magnus made out alive. Both of them did. They needed to talk to each other about all of this.

“You took him away from me”, Magnus’ lips trembled. Alec straightened himself and stretched his neck muscles. He couldn’t get distracted by the tears that were beginning to cloud his vision.

 _Jace... Jace... do you hear me?_ Alec shook his head to focus on the task at hand and called out to his Parabatai instead. Magnus couldn’t help him activate his runes right now and he couldn’t do it himself. But there were demons he needed to take down the demons. Maybe if he knew Jace’s trick to activate runes without a stele. After all, his pure angel blood was running through Alec’s veins right now.

_Alec... what’s going on? I sense panic..._

_How do you activate your runes without a stele...? We’re surrounded by Eidolons and I have no means to activate any of my runes._ Alec yelled.

“You brought that filthy Nephilim with you. He is your doom, Magnus. He is a bad omen.”, Asmodeus fired a spear from his hand aimed at Alec’s direction that was stopped by the arrow Alec very skillfully pulled. Magnus grunted in fury and threw Asmodeus off with another thrash to his chest.

 _Alec... focus. You just need to focus on your rune. Each rune. One by one. Ok?_ Jace advised him.

_Jace I don’t have that time._

_Buddy, you need to. It’s the only way._

_Fine... fine, I am going to try this._ Alec severed the connection and focused on his stamina and strength runes. It was harder than Jace had explained. He could hear faint connections forming and then breaking only because he was distracted. “Come on, Alec”, he muttered to himself. The next time he opened his eyes, he felt his runes glow below his shirt. The power from the runes surged through his body and Alec launched five arrows at a row of Eidolons right in front of him. He looked around and both the father and son had vanished from the lair. It was him and Asmodeus’ army.

Magnus and Asmodeus had taken to the sky to battle it out. He could see magic balls firing and bursting into flames and two very powerful beings levitating high above the ground right above him. Alec could make out Magnus' blurry figure aiming all his magic at his father. His long coat swaying in the winds. The skies of Edom were getting dangerously dark. Letting go off his bow for a bit, Alec pulled his kindjals out and sliced his way through the herd of demons gathering around him.

“Magnus knows and it’s alright if he does… come on Alec. You can do this...!”, he mumbled to himself between his combat with the monsters. They just kept coming back. And he knew there was no way out because he was essentially banishing them back to Hell... and Hell was where he was right now. It was a losing battle that Alec would have succumbed to... eventually. At least he wouldn’t have died with Magnus hating him. The muscles in his arms were beginning to ache with fatigue. He had no idea how long he had before his body gave up.

A heavy crash behind him momentarily pulled Alec out of trance. Asmodeus stood up from the rubble of crashed marble and stared right into Alec’s eyes. Alec swallowed and raised his knives in his hand.

“You broke the deal”, the Demon hissed. His cat eyes were darker than Magnus’ and his growl almost ran a shiver down the Shadowhunter's spine.

“I didn’t”, Alec remained still. “I never said a word to Magnus”, something inside Alec panicked. He didn’t know if he could live with Magnus losing his magic again because of him. “You brought this upon yourself, Asmodeus”, he collected his thoughts together. Alec could see the Greater Demon summoning magic in both his hands. Magnus landed on the ground next to him and fear surrounded his existence. Alec was in the plane of Asmodeus’ attack. “...but taking Magnus to Edom... wasn’t part of the barter”, he whispered. “You played dirty. You broke your promise”

“I didn’t take him. He came willingly”, Asmodeus explained, stretching his neck muscles as his magic continued to grow in his hands.

“You fed on his grief”, Alec swallowed, taking a step back but keeping himself steady to defend. He was splurging with anger for Magnus.

“Father, it’s me you need to fight with. Leave Alec alone.”, Magnus gasped. “Alexander, back off…”, he urged, wanting to keep his ex-boyfriend as far off from his demonic father as he possibly could.

“You blackmailed him”, Alec accused. “Fed him darkness that wasn’t his...”, he continued without hesitation. “You’re a filthy excuse of a father”, he ended.

“I may be a horrible father...”, Asmodeus tilted his head wickedly. “But atleast I will never leave Magnus because of my old age”, he snorted. He momentarily looked at Magnus who was horrified at the prospect of losing Alec. “...but I may be able to do something about it”, he smirked. “You took my son away from me... again”, Asmodeus flicked his wrist and before Magnus could shield the boy, Alec was hit with a series of magic balls. Alec avoided them with the wave of his knives. “You are the worst thing that could happen to my son... you mortal prick”, he insulted the Shadowhunter. Alec grabbed his knees as he panted for breath.

“I did whatever you asked me to”, he breathed out.

“I will _never_ forgive you... even when I am gone from Magnus’ life... I will never forgive you”, he warned. He lifted his hands in the air and conjured a ball of gold and purple light. He snapped his finger, trapping Magnus in his position. He had one chance... a few seconds before Magnus broke out of the trap.

“ _You_ , Alexander Gideon Lightwood, I hope you never have a chance at a complete life”, he cursed the man, launching the light ball at Alec. The Shadowhunter flew and crashed into a pillar... and dropped on the ground motionless – glowing purple and gold for a few seconds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you guys in three days?
> 
> \- A.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going all in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey people,
> 
> I was going to post a new chapter tomorrow, but I won't be at home. I am travelling the whole day. So, here we go. Here's the new chapter. We're going all in with this much. Hope to see you with me in the final showdown phase. 
> 
> #MFADfic

Magnus horrifically watched as Alec flew into a pillar and crashed on the ground motionless. He collapsed on the ground as his father’s trap around him loosened. Alec’s body stopped glowing after a few minutes. Magnus moaned in pain and hit his father in retaliation with a sharp thrust of his hands mustering all the strength he had and summoned a whip to trap him. The whip sparkled out of his hand and engulfed his father's figure in its burning clasps. Asmodeus’ last spell had rendered him quite weak to be able to crawl out of the whip.

Magnus snapped his neck to his side to check on his ex-boyfriend. The Eidolons were crawling towards Alec. Fixing Asmodeus’ trapped body on the ground, Magnus rushed to him. Fortunately enough, Alec was still breathing. “Alexander, wake up”, he shook the man. He swallowed and turned his head towards Magnus struggling to open his eyelids and focus on his surrounding. The pupils rolled inside the lids because of exhaustion from the crash. A throbbing pain engulfed his head and Alec found it hard to be aware of what was going around him. He mumbled something along the lines of _I am alright_... bringing a smile on the warlock’s face, even if it was for a millisecond. Magnus sighed, his gaze falling on the sword dangling on Alec’s back. The Heavenly Fire. He looked between his father and the Shadowhunter and contemplated. “Forgive me, Alec. But I need to do this.”, he mumbled. Alec twitched and groaned when Magnus pulled out the Heavenly Fire sword from his back and clasped his fingers around it.

“Magnus, no”, Alec gasped, struggling to lift his head. He threw up blood from his mouth and gathered his fists to push himself off the ground. His vision was hazy and unclear, but he could see Magnus advance towards Asmodeus with the sword firmly held in his hand. “Please don’t do this... please don’t”, he yelled, putting pressure on his knuckles to haul himself up from the ground.

“Wherever I go... you manage to crawl your way towards me”, Magnus twisted the sword in his hand as it glowed a dangerous red, burning up in a demonic hand. The hilt burnt warmer, Magnus' fingers twitching to leave drop the sword from their clutches. “I can’t banish you to another realm and be done...”, he mumbled.

“What is that?”, Asmodeus gasped for air, Magnus’ whips choking his breath. The angelic energies from sword reached out and interacted with Asmodeus’ soul, stinging him albeit very slightly.

“Your death”, Magnus deadpanned. He lifted the sword in air and summoned a thunderstorm of his own. The energy from the skies of Edom flowed into him through the sword and Magnus arched his body. The Heavenly Fire infused in the blade burnt the demonic core of his soul.

...

_“Mamaa”, the little boy yelled. His mother lay dead with a knife driven to her chest. Dark colored slimy liquid submerged his mother in the dead of the night and the boy knew that his mother had left him forever._

.

_“You’re a monster”, he saw his step-father accuse him over the dead body of his mother. Losing both the people who cared for him the most in the whole world was s lot of for little Magnus. The little boy flicked his wrist and burnt him to ashes until nothing remained of that man. He could see the reflection of his cat eyes in the mirror. He wasn’t normal. He was a monster._

_._

_“I am your father, Magnus. Your real father”, Asmodeus knelt in front of the boy and cupped his cheek. “See”, he smiled. The little boy looked into the man’s eyes. They were golden just like he had. They were also cat-like. They were just like his own._

_“Papa”, the little boy whispered. Asmodeus smiled in a way the boy was too young to comprehend._

_“Come with me. Let me take you home”, he insisted._

_“Home?”, the boy asked._

_“Yes... our home. Your home. Edom. You will love it there”, Asmodeus smiled. He lifted his palm towards the boy. Going home with Asmodeus felt like the right thing to do._

_._

_“I am done!”, Magnus yelled. “I am done being your puppet”, he snapped at his father. “I am not a monster. Stop making me into one.”_

_“You’re a Prince, Magnus”, Asmodeus exclaimed._

_“I am not a Prince”, he flared his nostrils in anger. “And you don’t belong here”, the warlock conjured up a portal. He had been working on a spell to travel around the world, but he’d never tried it before. And it worked. Magnus Bane, the High Warlock had just invented the world’s first portal. He flicked his wrist and banished the Greater Demon back to Edom, trapping him in a loophole that the man could never come back from._

_“Goodbye”_

_._

_“Alec didn’t deserve your love”, Asmodeus offered a chalice of the lake’s water to Magnus. The waves from the water body brushed against his naked feed, burning his toe nails._

_“I am not going to drink that”, Magnus pushed the cup away. The pebbles under his feet were stinging and burning at the same time._

_“You want to”, Asmodeus arched a brow._

_“I am not a demon”, Magnus whispered._

_“You’re a Prince, Magnus. You’re a royal”, he added. “Take it. Embrace yourself. You’ve got this” he urged._

_..._

Magnus felt the sword pull out his strength from him. Alec stood up, holding the pillar for support, and saw a dark mist being snuffed out of Magnus like a cloud of thunderstorm. The Heavenly Fire was undoing whatever Edom and Asmodeus had done to Magnus. It was snuffing his darkness out and his pain out. Magnus felt the dark energies embedded in his soul diminish into nothing. Alec pulled his kindjals out and activated his _iratze_. He needed to get to Magnus before the warlock wielded the blade killing himself in the process. Eidolons were going after Magnus too, attempting to stop him from that imminent attack. Biting back the throbbing pain in his head, Alec launched his kindjals out and threw his bow aside. He slashed his way through the demons, killing them one by one with swift flicks of his wrist.

Memories were a fickle thing. Magnus gasped as a string of newer, happier memories took place of his dark childhood in his head. He remembered seeing Alec at Pandemonium for the first time after he saved them from a Circle member. _“Who are you?”,_ he heard his own self say. His lips curved into a smile as pain surged through his body. These memories were digging deeper into his soul, almost clawing their way inside and healing all of his heartbreak.

 _“To us”_ , he saw Alec cringe as a martini flowed down the Shadowhunter’s throat.

“ _Magnus, I love you_ ”, he heard Alec confess outside the Institute when Valentine had activated the Soul Sword. It was one of the happiest days of their lives together. One of his fondest memories. He used his free hand to keep his father trapped in his whip and let the sword replace his dark memories with the good ones. Almost as if the Angel itself was blessing him.

Alec grunted in pain as an Eidolon cut him on his arm with its pincer, but he stabbed it right through with his blade, burning him into ashes. Another demon threw him off balance as Alec took him down with a strike across the demon's chest but not before it cut him on his back. He clenched his teeth and watched as the cloud around Magnus only gathered. The cloud was a dark amalgamation of his own memories and the negativity of Edom. “Magnus, don’t do it. Please don’t…”, he yelled, as the air around him built up smoke and charred with the sword gathering energy from the atmosphere. Asmodeus was struggling to get out of Magnus’ grip but the warlock's magic was strong enough to keep him at bay. Alec placed his palm to shield his eyes from the burning air and vapour around him that sparked into a threatening fire.

“Goodbye, father”, Magnus opened his eyes and threw his hand back. One blow right through the heart and Asmodeus would be dead forever. “Alexander, I love you”, he whispered to himself before crouching a little to sprint across. Alec cut his way through to the warlock and grabbed his waist right before he could launch ahead. Magnus felt a jolt on his midriff as Alec pulled him back to his chest.

“NO”, Alec screeched, wrapping his fingers around the hilt of the sword.

“Alec, let me go”, Magnus roared, his demonic eyes overpowering him. He gritted his teeth to gain back the control of his sword.

“I won’t let you kill yourself”, Alec stubbornly struggled to pull the sword out of Magnus’ hand. He arched forward as another Eidolon slash a cut on Alec's back. He felt cold in places where the demon ripped his shirt and blood started oozing out.

“You cannot stop me”, Magnus helplessly announced.

“I can. Magnus I’m not letting you die in here”, his voice shivered as he fought with the pain of the air burning around him _and_ the wound on his back that was bleeding into his shirt.

“Alexander!”

“NO! YOU LISTEN TO ME. You’re not dying on me. Not after everything we have been through...”, Alec pulled Magnus to his chest, clasping him by his waist and continued to pull the sword out of Magnus’ other hand.

“He deserves to die!”, Magnus argued.

“He does. But you don’t. You’re better than him.”, Alec mumbled. Magnus stretched his arm, despite Alec’s hold on it and tried to launch the sword at his father. Right before he could do anything, the Shadowhunter pulled the sword into his own hand and threw it straight into the Greater Demon's heart.

An archer’s aim.

He never missed.

The sword pierced right in the middle of Asmodeus' chest straight through his heart. The floor rumbled with his cries of agony as the angelic weapon cut through his demonic core, starting his existence. He was a fallen angel. An abandoned Prince of Hell. The Heavenly Fire burnt everything inside him and engulfed him as he was put into flames. A round of thunderstorms and small atmospheric explosions later, a blinding white light saturated the lair. Alec knew this was the Heavenly Fire destroying itself. Shielding Magnus from the blast, Alec put himself between Asmodeus’ burning corpse and the warlock. The shards of the sword pierced through Alec, infusing their energy in his blood. Magnus was too startled to respond, and he curled his fingers around the fabric of Alec's shirt, holding him close to him to protect him and yet, keep him close. Magic flowed out of his hand, although a little late, engulfing the two in a protective shield

The blast shook the castle as well as the skies of the demonic realm.

“Alec”, Magnus gasped opening his eyes after the explosion settled. The Shadowhunter’s frame was right in front of him – his arms circling the warlock protectively. His eyes were open, and he was staring at him with a smile on his face. Magnus smiled back, and he felt like he was home after a very long time.

“He’s gone?”, Magnus asked, raising himself over Alec’s shoulder. There were piles of ash everywhere.

“He is”, Alec mumbled. He parted his lips to say something more but what came out instead was rather horrifying. Magnus grabbed Alec's jaw as a stream of blood poured out of his Shadowhunter’s mouth, choking him. He guzzled, unable to breathe or swallow at all.

“Alexander?”, Magnus inspected his throat for any potential injuries. There was nothing suspicious there. He looked further down and saw an Eidolon pincer stuck through his abdomen. The demons had perished with Asmodeus but one of them had managed to stab Alec before they vanished into nothingness. Alec's throat bobbed as he gurgled out more blood. He lifted his palm and cupped it below his mouth to collect blood that was flowing out. His eyes were swollen red with pain and anguish. “No, no no…”, Magnus gasped. Alec’s knees gave up as he lost blood and the warlock dropped on the ground holding Alec in his arm with his head cradled in the crook of his elbow. “Alec no…no, please”, he pleaded. The pincer disappeared into a cloud of ash as did the other demons and Alec was left with a giant hole in his abdomen and massive internal bleeding.

He snapped his finger to let the magic flow out to heal the wound, but he was running dangerously low on strength and Alec’s blood was resenting his magic. With the tracking spell and the battle with his father, Magnus knew he didn’t have enough energy to save the love of his life. And even if he did, he would never be able to pierce through the shield of the Heavenly Fire that was now flowing through Alec's veins.

“Alec, please… no”, he cried, tapping Alec’s cheek as the boy drifted into unconsciousness. His neck was drenched with deep red blood oozing out of his mouth.

…

Jace was pacing through the room when he felt himself choking. Pressing his pager for Isabelle, he grabbed the table and waited as Clary and his sister rushed into the room a few minutes later. The pain was excruciating to bear alone.

“Alec’s hurt...”, he managed to say. Clary grabbed him by his waist and ushered him on the nearest chair. His Parabatai rune was glowing harshly. Holding his rune with one hand, Jace pulled back, dropping his head on Clary's chest.

“Talk to him?”, Isabelle suggested, dialing someone on her phone.

“He’s not responding…”, Jace wheezed. “Who are you trying to call?”

“Underhill… or Lorenzo. Someone who can portal us to Edom”, she tucked strands of hair behind her ear and furrowed her brows.

“You’re not going alone.”, the blond Shadowhunter announced. “I’m coming with”, he said.

“So am I!”, Clary joined.

Isabelle scratched her head and nodded. It’s not like she had time to argue on how to stop either of her brother or her friend from coming on this rescue mission. “Mom is going to kill us”, she sighed.

“We’ll tell her when we come back”, Jace shrugged, wincing in pain.

“I was hoping we could leave the Institute to Luke. I don’t think _not_ telling her before we leave would be possible”, Isabelle suggested. “Luke would never hide anything from her”, she sighed desperately.

“Let’s deal with that _after_ we get a warlock to portal us to Edom. Call Catarina?”, Clary suggested, rubbing her boyfriend’s back to ease his pain. A Shadowhunter walked in, looking frantically at the Lightwood siblings.

“What is it?”, Jace gasped.

“Where’s boss? There’s someone here to meet him”, she informed.

“Alec’s resting. He spent the whole night going through demonic report activities. Who is it?”, Jace asked.

“It’s Meliorn. The Seelie King to be”, she informed. The Seelie walked in behind the Nephilim and Jace gestured the Shadowhunter to leave.

“What’s up?”, Jace asked.

“There’s been news floating around my realm for a few minutes now. I thought I would warn you guys well in time...”, Meliorn winked, eyeing Jace from head to toe. “Is Alec okay?”, he asked.

“Alec’s well”, Isabelle lied.

“Asmodeus has fallen”, Meliorn announced.

“Fallen as in… _dead?_ ”, Clary widened her eyes.

“Yes, Ms Fairchild. Dead”, the knight reported. “The Battle of Edom…between him and his son was won by Magnus Bane and Asmodeus is gone for good. All the spells he did, the prisoners he took have all been released…”, he informed. Jace grunted in pain as a wave of chill passed through his body. Meliorn furrowed his brows and eyed the Nephilim again. “Alec…”, he gasped on realization. “He’s with Magnus, isn’t he?”. All the three Shadowhunters looked away to hide their deception from him. “You know, I can sense lies as well as I can mold the truth I speak”, he arched a brow. Jace sighed, slumping his shoulders before nodding to agree with Meliorn's assumption.

“Well, he and Magnus would need help if they wish to survive…”, the Seelie knight spoke up after a minute of silence.

“What do you mean?”, Clary clasped Jace's waist and ushered him back to the chair.

“With Asmodeus gone, Edom will experience a power struggle. Lilith has been building up an army against the Greater Demon for a few days now. Now, she will definitely unleash it on the crown prince of Edom”, he shrugged.

“Magnus!”, Isabelle gasped. “But wait, did you say Lilith? Isn’t she here?” she asked.

“Why would Lilith be on earth?”, Meliorn frowned.

“We summoned her a month ago?”, Clary and Jace said in unison.

“Well, from what I hear…she’s been in Edom all along?”, Meliorn informed.

“But Magnus said…that he…”, Isabelle swallowed as she realized the intricacies of Magnus’ plan. “He tricked us all…”, she blurted out. Clary gulped, unable to believe that this was Magnus they were talking about. “We need to rescue Alec”, she screeched. “If Magnus is playing us, Alec’s life is in danger”

“Magnus won’t hurt Alec, Izzy”, Jace countered.

“We don’t know that”, she retorted. “As of now, Magnus is in his home realm and Alec’s the one who is an unwanted guest”, she pointblanked. “They’ll be defenseless against Lilith's army.”, she covered her lips with her palm and widened her eyes in fear. “We need to hurry”, she announced. Lorenzo walked into their office a minute later, followed by Underhill.

“What is it?”, he asked, clearly annoyed by the call.

“We need your help”, Clary responded. “But, I think we should go to Magnus'. Doing everything here will attract unnecessary attention and we don’t need that…”, she suggested.

“That sounds about right”, Isabelle nodded. “Let’s suit up and head over to Magnus’”, she tipped her chin. Underhill, Lorenzo's boyfriend was standing right outside Alec's office, waiting to be explained. Lorenzo gently cupped his cheek and pressed a kiss on his lips before following Jace out.

“Isabelle”, Underhill called, following the girl to the weapons room.

“Andrew”, she sighed. “I don’t have time right now”

“What is going on?”, he asked. “Is it about Sir?”

“What about Alec?”, she paled. For everyone else at the Institute, they had successfully put up the façade of Alec still being in New York.

“He’s not been around for a week now…and”, Andrew shrugged.

“How do you–?”, she gasped.

“Does it matter? What do you want from Enzo?”, he asked.

“We need him to portal us to Edom”, she shrugged.

“Isabelle”, Andrew raised his voice as they stepped foot inside the weapons room. Jace and Clary were already strapping up. “I am coming with you!”, he announced.

“Andrew you can’t!”, Isabelle asked.

“You can’t expect me to leave my boyfriend alone”, Underhill crossed his hands on his chest.

“Fine”, she shrugged. “Take what you need!”, she pulled out her phone and dialed Luke. In their absence, someone had to take over the New York Institute.

…

Magnus groaned in irritation when his magic failed against the Heavenly Fire for the fifth time. He held Alec in his arms, holding his palm to his abdomen to hold the bleeding wound. Alec was conscious, but he was drifting away slowly. The internal bleeding had subsided for now but in the absence of the means to figure out where he was bleeding from, Magnus was afraid that if he moved Alec even just a little, he would hurt the boy again. “Can we portal back to New York?”, Alec wheezed, lifting a weak hand to stop Magnus from exhausting his magic.

“I don’t have enough strength to conjure a portal across the realm, Alexander”, Magnus’ voice was laden with fear and helplessness.

“It’s okay. It’s okay. Magnus”, Alec winced. “It’s okay... we can wait until you’re ready...”, he wheezed.

“It’s not!”, Magnus responded, his eyes filled with tears ready to roll out. His father was a pile of ash in front of him and the love of his life was dying. Every breath he took could have been his last one. There was no way he could heal him or take him back to New York. Alec wouldn’t have survived the portal travel without opening his wounds. “Your ring, Alexander? Where’s your ring?”, he asked, inspecting his hand for the invisible Seelie ring. If he could have Jace or someone come to him to help him carry Alec home. Or another warlock that could rescue them. Alec weakly lifted his hand up. The ring was gone from his finger.

“I must have lost it during the battle. I have no clue where…”, Alec shrugged, rolling his head that was brushing against the side of Magnus’ abdomen. Magnus snapped his finger and tried to heal Alec again.

“You’re…so stubborn. I hate you so much. Why would you risk your life like this?”, Magnus sniffed, holding his waving palm over Alec's wound. The Heavenly Fire sparked after coming in contact with the warlock's magic, resenting it every way it could. Alec’s lips curved into a sad smile. He closed his eyes and relaxed in the warmth Magnus’ embrace provided. Maybe if he fell asleep for a bit, he would start healing. “…don’t know how to deal with you at times…”, Magnus continued. He looked over his shoulder and saw Alec’s eyes closed and his body still and he swallowed.

“Alexander!!!”, the man called, gently wobbling the boy’s head. Alec hummed, rolling his eyes and opened them again. “You don’t close your eyes on me…alright?”, the warlock warned. “Stay awake…”, Alec gulped, nodding. A minute or so later, Alec flinched and coughed out blood, followed by another bout of dripping from his nostrils this time. He was hemorrhaging in his brain. “Alec”, Magnus pleading, urging him to not leave him. His voice was shaky and broken.

“I’m okay… don’t worry, I feel absolutely fine…”, Alec coughed between his words, spitting blood onto Magnus' shirt. Magnus tore a fragment out of his satin shirt and held it on Alec's nose, stopping the bleeding. Alec was drifting to sleep and losing sense of his surroundings again.

“Please don’t do this to me again… Alexander!”, he mumbled. He’d been in battles before this and lost friends and lovers, but he’d never been so scared. “I don’t think I can live without you. I can’t, Alec”, he knew he sounded helpless, but he didn’t care. The idea of losing Alec was terrifying him. He couldn’t imagine living in a world where Alec Lightwood would become a memory.

“I won’t leave you…”, Alec choked on his blood, lifting a weak hand to hold Magnus' shirt in his hand. His eyes were wide open with fear and a strange expression on his face that Magnus couldn’t understand. “Never again”, he gagged with the bitter taste of blood in his mouth.

“I love you”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i will see you guys on Fri/Sat, depending on my workload. 
> 
> next: a rescue mission


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been yelled at for three days for Ch 13. This doesn't get any better, but atleast the cliffhanger isn't as bad.
> 
> Enjoy.
> 
> #MFADfic

Magnus flickered his pupils as Alec closed his eyes, swallowing the lump down his throat. He was sure that Alec had said _I love you_ to him. But it had to have meant nothing right? There was no way Alec was still in love with Magnus. He had moved on. Period. Magnus retracted his hand from Alec's nose to check on the bleeding. The man had stopped hemorrhaging for now – much to Magnus' relief. He was breathing erratically but he was conscious, responsive to the environment. “Alec”, he called out softly. The Shadowhunter opened his eyes and gazed around the room until he found Magnus again.

“Hey!”, he smiled weakly, his eyes regaining the glow after their gaze fell on the warlock. Magnus furrowed his brows in confusion and placed his thumb against the man's cheekbone.

“Hi”, he breathed out.

“I missed you”, Alec smiled wider, his eyes filling with tears as their eyes met for a minute. There was so much love in those hazels that it broke the warlock’s heart. He couldn’t be sure if the love was for him or not. Magnus shut his eyes in pain when he realized that the loss of blood was making Alec delusional. Hallucinations would start very soon if he wasn’t given proper treatment.

“I missed you too”, he replied. Alec scoffed weakly and snuggled in Magnus' stomach, letting out painful gasps in the process. He mumbled something in response to Magnus' statement, but the words were incomprehensible against the fabric of his shirt. And then he closed his eyes for a bit, making Magnus' heart sink further. “Alexander, stay with me”, the warlock called. He looked up at the red skies of Edom and closed his eyes, in prayer and agony. _I cannot lose him…_ the warlock called out to whichever God or Angel he possibly could. _Please don’t take him from me. He is the only thing I have… the only one who found me worth saving, worth fighting for. So, please_. He thought again, holding Alec to his chest, close to his heart. Alec slowly brushed warm breaths against his clothes, informing Magnus that he was still in there.

“Magnus”, Alec opened his eyes and mumbled. Magnus snapped his eyes open and gazed down.

“Yes, I am here”, Magnus gave him a fond smile. Alec took a deep breath and lifted his bloodied hand to the warlock's cheek. The palm was sticky with brown dried out blood and cold with weakness. He blinked and fixed his gaze on Magnus' face, placing his shivering palm on the warlock's jawline. Magnus could feel Alec's skin shivering under his touch.

“I am so sorry”, he whispered.

“For what?”, Magnus gently curled his hand around Alec's wrist and pressed his hand to his skin. Alec’s pulse was weakly present on his radial artery.

“I am sorry I took your father's deal and broke up with you”, he shrugged, flinching in pain. He coughed out to relieve his dry throat, only to release a spit of clotted blood.

“Alexander, don’t speak. We can talk when you’re healed up?”, Magnus sniffed, raising his hand to remove hair from Alec's sweaty forehead. Alec moved his head with Magnus' fingers and smiled at the relief the warlock's presence brought him.

“I just need to say this…”, he shook his head. “You just need to hear it… I am so sorry…”, he swallowed hard again.

“No…no, we’ll get plenty of time to talk about this. About everything. Ok? Save your strength…”, he coaxed the man. The fact that there was a chance that Alec wouldn’t make it through was scaring the life out of Magnus.  
He shivered when a portion of Asmodeus' castle burst into flames, taking his attention from his injured Shadowhunter and the unexplained engraving on the ring. There was a huge wraith hovering around them. Magnus looked up and paled. It was Lilith. She was here to reclaim her control over the kingdom. Placing Alec’s head gently on the ground, Magnus stood up and conjured magic in both of his hands. He was weak and running low on power, but he couldn’t get Alec hurt anymore. There was still a lot that the Prince of Edom could do to Lilith without losing all of his powers. He was still strong enough to take her down. Summoning the demonic core that powered Asmodeus' magic in the castle, Magnus pulled the ley lines towards him to draw their power. He lifted his hands high up in the air and the lair was surrounded by a protective shield. He turned around and looked over his shoulder. Alec was unconscious, but he could see his chest rising with his breaths. He was still alive.

He used another spell and trapped the lair in a second layer of shield. Lilith's army had surrounded them. There was no way Magnus could have taken them all down without risking Alec's life in the process. He collapsed on his knees after the second spell and took a deep breath.

…

Lorenzo finished making the pentagram inside Magnus' apothecary. They were all standing around in the warlock’s apartment with their weapons strapped to their chests. Jace was leaning on the pillar support. He could feel Alec slipping away but he didn’t want to get the girls worried.

“Are you ok?”, Isabelle asked, stuffing her phone in her pocket.

“I am fine”, Jace clenched his jaw and lied. “Alec is okay too”, he shrugged. Lorenzo exchanged a look with his boyfriend and continued to focus on the spell that he was going to cast. Simon had joined them a few minutes ago and he was closely shadowing his girlfriend around.

“The pentagram is ready to go. However...”, Lorenzo stood up from the floor. Andrew gently brushed his back to straighten the warlock's coat and smiled when their eyes met. “Edom will not allow the Nephilim blood to pass through without rendering you poisoned…”, he reminded.

“Clary can survive there. We’ve tested that already…”, Jace gasped as his abdomen twisted in pain. “But, my powers have been channeled into Alec, so I would need help”, he admitted. Clary lifter her hand to the back of his neck and gently massaged the tension in the veins. She could sense that Jace was in a lot more pain than he was letting on but for Izzy’s sake, she remained quiet.

“We can use a rune, maybe?”, Clary asked. All the people perched their necks in the redhead's direction and frowned. “I have been working on a rune that is pretty much like a Parabatai rune. But for a Shadowhunter and a Downworlder pair.”, she explained. Lorenzo and Underhill, Simon and Isabelle and Meliorn and Jace glanced at each other before looking back at Clary. “Simon, Meliorn and Lorenzo can freely survive in Edom… if we could somehow manage to ally one of us with each of them, we could share our powers”, she shrugged.

“I am not sure if that would work?”, Meliorn shrugged.

“It will work.”, Clary affirmed. “On the off chance it doesn’t, we can always have Lorenzo portal the Shadowhunters back before the atmosphere kills us. I can take help to Magnus and Alec myself”, she suggested.

“Sounds good”, Lorenzo nodded. “So, prepare yourselves, Nephilims. We leave in half an hour?”, he asked.

“Perfect”, Clary nodded. She took her stele out and headed to Simon and Isabelle who readily agreed to get the rune on. It was a union rune, a rune of _alliance_. Isabelle got the rune on her forearm and Simon got himself the mark on his hip. His vampire skin and demon blood resisted the burn of the angelic mark of union but then it worked miraculously. Isabelle could feel the unusual strength her body overflowed with and Simon could feel the clarity and accuracy that the Nephilim vision offered. Meliorn and Jace went in next after the Seelie knight agreed to help Jace rescue his Parabatai. Ever since the battle of Idris, the two mortal enemies had become close friends, because of what they stood for, and fought for.

Lorenzo summoned the hellfire from Edom once everyone took their positions on the circle. He turned to his boyfriend and gave him a tight-lipped smile. “I’ll be back before you know it”, he raised his hand to cup the man's cheek.

“There’s no need. I’m coming with”, Andrew shook his head.

“Andrew, you can’t”, Isabelle intervened.

“I am not leaving my boyfriend alone.”, Andrew announced.

“Lorenzo won’t get hurt, we promise. We’ll be back soon”, Clary insisted.

“I know, he won’t. He is a powerful man. But, no offence, you have no motivation to keep him safe. He’s not your friend. And there has to be someone who takes care of him. So please. Let me come with you. If Simon had been in this position, would you have let him go alone, Isabelle?”, he muttered. Isabelle dropped her gaze because as much as it hurt, Andrew was being honest and right about this. They wouldn’t have hurt Lorenzo intentionally, but they had no reason to put him in front of someone they possibly loved more. She nodded, curling her hands in Simon's. “I am coming with or Enzo isn’t going”, he crossed his hands on his chest.

“Who will assist Luke with the Institute then?”, Jace scratched his brow.

“We will”, they craned their neck at a combination of voices that sounded from the door. It was Helen and Aline. 

“Go and get Alec back, we’ve got this here”, Aline smiled, crossing her hands behind her back.

“Aline”, Isabelle’s face lit up. “How did you?”

“I came to check in on Alec and Luke told me that I would find all of you here”, she shrugged. “He’s my sparring partner… get him back for me”.

“Your mother?”, Isabelle bit her lip, sighing.

“My mother wouldn’t suspect a thing. This Institute is important to Alec. Ergo, it is important to me”, she shrugged, casually. “Now, please. Go and get him back. He owes me a fight.”, she gestured.

“We’ve got this”, Helen reiterated. Clary immediately drew the alliance rune on Lorenzo and Andrew and took her place on the circle. They were about to leave when Catarina Loss stepped out of a portal.

“What the hell is going on?”, she widened her eyes at the burning pentagram in front of her. Isabelle rolled her eyes and stepped out. Every minute they spent in New York was a minute more they put Alec and Magnus at risk.

“Long story short, Catarina, we are going to Edom to rescue Magnus and Alec. They defeated Asmodeus for good, but Lilith's summoned an army to take Magnus down. And for my brother’s sake, we can’t let either of them die...”, Isabelle informed, her hand still locked in Simon's.

“And _all_ of you are going on this mission?”, she waved her finger at the people. Isabelle shrugged. “Fine, count me in”, she stepped forward, rubbing her palms together.

“What?”, Simon and Jace muttered in unison.  
“If you are going to rescue my best friend, I am coming with you”, she arched a brow as if she was surprised that they would expect her to not come with them for the mission to save Magnus.

“What about Madzie?”, Clary questioned. “You’re going to leave her alone?”

“I dropped her at Maia and Bat's. They will take care of her”, she informed, pulling out her phone to send a text to Maia.

“Catarina, are you sure?”, Lorenzo asked, stepping aside to give her a space in the circle.

“I let my friend down once…I am not doing it again”, she sighed. There was a hint of guilt in her voice and it was quite evident.

“That makes only one of us”, Isabelle mumbled in frustration. Catarina shot an angry glare at the Lightwood girl, unable to resist herself from replying to _that_ tone. No one spoke of Magnus with such disdain without being banished into darkness.

“I am sure Alec would disagree with you”, she taunted.

“Alec is in danger because of Magnus. I hope you know that?”, Isabelle raised her hand.

“None of this would have happened if that Shadowhunter hadn’t broken Magnus’ heart in the first place. He brought this upon himself… when he let my friend go into the hands of his demonic father…”, Catarina said as a matter-of-factly. There was a clear division of camps and sides.

“Oh, by the Angel, he made a deal with Asmodeus to get Magnus’ magic back!!”, Isabelle yelled, stepping forward as Simon pulled her back, gently rubbing her arm. Catarina gasped, placing her palm on her lips. She looked around at the others and they nodded, corroborating Isabelle's story.

“He did _what_?”, she gasped.

“Alec gave up their relationship to get Magnus’ magic and immortality back from his father. It was a part of the deal Asmodeus offered.”, Simon wrapped an arm around his girlfriend and spoke on her behalf.

“Oh dear”, she sighed, covering her mouth with her hands. “Everything makes sense now”, she swallowed.

“What does?”

“Alec had been frequenting my house off-late, urging me to spend more time with Magnus and help him through his dark phase. He’d been trying to push me to talk to Magnus because he thought he wanted my help…”, she shut her eyes in guilt. “I didn’t even let him talk to Madzie”, she admitted.“Oh fuck!”

“It’s not on you, Catarina. Asmodeus strictly made sure Magnus could never know about the deal. That Demon is the one to blame for all of this mess...”, Isabelle swallowed, letting go off her defensive stance. “Come on, let’s save your friend and my brother from Hell?”, she tilted her head, gesturing Catarina to join them. The warlock smiled, taking her position next to Lorenzo and Andrew.

The hellfire blazed in the pentagram and they stepped inside, burning their flesh in the chilly winter of New York.

…

Magnus hit his fist on the ground, annoyed when his magic sparked off Alec, unable to pierce through the shield that the Heavenly Fire had surrounded him with. He wasn’t bleeding anymore but the blood loss had rendered him weak and cold. Magnus had managed to summon some heat lamps around them to keep the Shadowhunter warm but there was no way Alec would have survived much longer without treatment. One of his hands were wrapped around Magnus and his eyes were blinking open and shut.

“How do you feel?”, Magnus asked, for the umpteenth time. Alec gently squeezed his hand and smiled, closing his eyes.

“I am okay”, he muttered, licking his lips to moisten them. There were blasts hitting against the shield around the lair and Magnus could feel his magic cracking. Lilith’s army was marching to the castle.

“Please let me portal you back to New York. I have strength enough for one of us…”, he pleaded. He had suggested the same an hour ago, but Alec had declined, fading into unconsciousness shortly thereafter.

“I am not leaving you here… we both go back to New York or I stay with you here…”, Alec shook his head weakly.

“Why would you do that? Alexander, you need help! Proper medical help…”, Magnus cupped his jaw and stroked it softly.

“I abandoned you once…”, he mumbled. “Not again…”

“Alec, I can’t let you die!!”, Magnus leaned over the Shadowhunter's horizontal frame. His skin was getting bluer with time. His lips were shivering with chill and Magnus could feel the lack of blood in the man's body. Alec didn’t respond and just closed his eyes, drifting into unconsciousness again. Magnus tapped his cheeks to wake him up. Alec’s body stilled as he fainted heavy in the warlock's arm. Magnus gently laid him on the ground and checked his lungs. He wasn’t breathing. He checked his pulse and there was a weak beat. There was no way he could have tried magic without putting Alec in a greater risk than he already was in. So, he loosened his shirt and opened up the man's chest.

“Come on Alec”, he started resuscitations, coaxing his lungs to start breathing again. He sucked air in his mouth and opened Alec's lips to blow air in, filling his lungs up. “Alec, wake up”, he urged. The Shadowhunter didn’t respond. Magnus noticed a thin stream of dark red blood flowing out of one of Alec's nostrils and he paled again. He had no idea if the Shadowhunter would have survived another hemorrhagic episode without succumbing to it.

He kept pumping his lungs to start breathing normally when a shiny locket slipped out from underneath Alec's shirt. Magnus picked it up. It was a platinum chain with a ring dangling on it. Magnus furrowed his brows and noticed the intricately carved 'L' surrounding by the symbols of the Lightwood family. It was the family ring. Magnus was about to let the ring fall back when he saw something on the inside. There was an engraving on the jewelry and Magnus looked closer. It was a sentence for someone. Written in black cursive font.

_Dear Magnus, with love, Alec._

His fingers trembled as he let the ring drop back on Alec’s chest. He stumbled on the ground and shut his eyes, letting the tears fall out from his eyelids. He stuffed the ring back inside his shirt and wiped his nose. Alec’s lips parted as he gasped for air, his lungs springing back in action.

A pile of rubble crashed on the ground close to them and Magnus instinctively wrapped his arm around Alec, shielding him from the shattering pieces of the castle. He looked up and found Lilith hovering right above them. Her pale yellow and green eyes were fixed on Magnus and Alec and the Prince of Edom could see the anger and loathing dripping out of them. Channeling his anger, Magnus stood up and fisted his hands as a purple cloud appeared on both of them. He grunted in anger and saw the reflection of his cat eyes in the ornate mirror decorations of Asmodeus' layer. Flicking one of his wrists, he aimed his magic at Lilith. The purple magic flew out as a beam of light, striking the demon right in her heart before she flew back to save herself. Her agonizing screeches pierced through the walls of the castle and Alec gulped, opening his eyes.

He saw blurred visions of Magnus standing over him as a shield and battling the Queen of Hell. Lilith flapped her mighty wings and restored her balance just as Magnus hit her again, this time, mutilating one of her wings. She screamed in pain and disappeared towards the rear of the castle, before he heard her crash on the ground. Magnus gasped in exhaustion, falling back on the rubble with a thud. Looking over his shoulder, Magnus saw Alec flutter his eyes weakly and look around the room.

“You’re back”, he turned over to face Alec with a relieved smile on his face.

“Told you I’m not going anywhere”, Alec scoffed.

“So is Lilith”, Magnus tried to joke.

“You’ve got this”, Alec joked back. He raised his hand from the ground and groped for Magnus. The warlock smiled and entangled their fingers together.

“Let me portal you back, please, Alexander...”, Magnus requested, moving his free hand over the man's forehead. Alec shook his head in refusal and took a shaky breath. They were taken by surprise when a part of their lair collapsed after two demons blasted it off. Magnus snapped his head to see if Alec had sustained any injuries from the blast. They were now exposed to the outside world. From the open end of the castle, they saw Lilith's massive army advancing towards them.

Magnus’ shield wouldn’t have sustained for very long. He feared for Alec's life. Lilith wanted Edom. She wanted to rule it. And frankly that wasn’t such a repulsive idea. As long as she stayed in Edom, he didn’t mind what she did to this world. Making up his mind about something, he stood up.

“Where are you going?”, Alec wheezed.

“I am going to save your life the only way I can!”, Magnus said, determinately.

“Magnus!”, Alec gasped, coughing in pain.

“Lilith wants the throne…”, Magnus mumbled. Alec widened his eyes.

“No?”, he refused, realizing Magnus’ intentions.

“It’s the only way, Alec. You wouldn’t let me portal you back to New York but you’re dying. I need to do something to save you.” he shook his head.

“No. No!”, Alec tried to get up from the ground but collapsed, whining in pain.

“Alexander…stay here”, Magnus placed a hand on Alec's shoulder and pushed him to the ground. “I am going to surrender to her…and in return, she’s going to help me get you back home. The Queen of Hell would be thrilled to have the Prince of Edom as her prisoner…”, he announced.

“I am not leaving without you…neither will I let you surrender yourself to her…”, Alec gathered his strength and grabbed Magnus’ wrist, pulling him back with everything he had.

“She will not stop hunting us”, Magnus argued.

“You are _not_ surrendering to her!”, Alec yelled. He clenched his jaw in pain and shut his eyes as his head spun. Clasping his fingers around Magnus' wrist, Alec struggled to keep the warlock close to him.

“You’re being unreasonable”, Magnus muttered.

“Maybe. But I won’t let you give yourself up to anyone. You want to do something? Wait for me to die?”, he announced. “Wait for me to succumb to my injuries and then go do whatever the hell you want to”

“You’re not going to die”, Magnus responded.

“I am. I know I am.”, his voice broke.

“I won’t let you”, Magnus sniffed, wiping the tears that spilt out of the man's hazel eyes.

“Stay with me, please. Just until it is all over… alright?”, Alec requested. He took a shallow breath and closed his eyes. The pain in his abdomen and the chill from the loss of blood gripped him once again. “I love you”, he breathed out, his hand still curled around Magnus' wrist.

Magnus choked as he lifted Alec's head and gently tapped his cheek. He took his name but the Shadowhunter was too far gone to respond. “I love you too”, he whispered, pressing Alec's head to his chest. “Alexander”, he muttered between his sobs.

“Are we late?”, Magnus snapped his neck and saw a herd of familiar faces at the door. Isabelle and Simon, Clary and Jace, Lorenzo and Underhill and Catarina. All of them strapped with weapons and ready to fight. He sniffed and wiped his nose, holding a very still Alec in his arms. 

Magnus watched as Meliorn and Clary grabbed Jace by his waist and guided him inside. Alec’s Parabatai was in as much pain as Alec himself. The blond Shadowhunter collapsed on the ground next to Alec and lifted his hand. Alec was still half lying in Magnus' lap with his legs spread apart on the floor. Isabelle dropped on the ground next to her brothers and covered her mouth as she broke into soft sobs. Catarina knelt on the ground next to Magnus and placed her hands on his shoulders. The warlock shut his eyes and threw his head back in his best friend’s chest. “Alec is going to be alright!”, she promised Magnus, snapping her fingers to analyze the extent of the warlock's injuries.

“Why did Alec not activate his iratze?”, Jace gasped in pain, unbuttoning Alec's jeans to pull his shirt up.

“The stab wound is right atop his rune”, Magnus sniffed, pointing at the spot on Alec’s body where his iratze had been mutilated. 

“We need to draw another one”, Jace pulled Alec's shirt up and found a free space right above his Parabatai rune.

“Your stele won’t work here, Jace”, Clary reminded. She looked at Magnus who immediately sparked off his magic to help Jace carve the healing rune on Alec.

“This one wouldn’t help a lot because it’s a duplicate one”, Jace whispered. “But it’s still better than nothing…”, he shrugged. “We need to get him back to the medics who can get his original iratze working”, he informed.

“Why would the iratze not work?”, Clary asked.

“When two similar runes are etched on a Nephilim's skin, the power of the second rune is exponentially smaller. Alec already has an iratze so this one would work at half the efficiency”, Jace explained.

“It’s a self-control rule by the Angels. If our rune powers were additive, all of us would become invincible by covering ourselves with tattoos”, Isabelle added. Clary curved her mouth in an “o” and nodded.

“I can portal you and Alec back to New York?”, Magnus offered, intervening between Jace and Clary's conversations.

“Why didn’t you do that before?”, Isabelle arched a brow, mocking Magnus.

“Alexander wouldn’t let me”, Magnus admitted. “He said he wouldn’t leave me here… I did try my best, trust me…”

“Sounds like my brother”, Isabelle sighed.

“I am sorry, Isabelle”

“Save it, Magnus. We still need to rescue my brother from here. And he wouldn’t leave without you…so I guess we have to rescue you too!”, she shrugged.

Magnus nodded, holding Catarina's hand for emotional support. “His body is rejecting my magic”, he informed the warlock.

“Heavenly Fire?”, Isabelle widened her eyes as Magnus nodded in affirmation.

“I am a nurse. I can close up some of his wounds the mundane way”, she crouched in front of the unconscious Shadowhunter, tearing his shirt apart with her hands. Magnus took a step back and folded his hands together.

“Guys”, Simon gasped. “Lilith is getting closer”, he informed as his fangs made an appearance.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> finally out of Edom?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all.
> 
> Welcome to Chapter 15! We're three chapters away from angst ending. I hope you guys get some answers in this chapter. More explorations to follow in the coming plots.

Simon hissed, his fangs out for display, taking cover at the door. Isabelle was crouched next to an unconscious Alec, holding his hand as Catarina patched his wounds up. “The injury needs to be chelated for ichor. We need to take him back to New York as soon as possible”, the nurse warlock explained, “The bleeding is stable for now”, she assured. Jace drew another iratze with Magnus’ as the one working on Alec faded.

“I can portal Alec back to the infirmary?”, Magnus raised his hand.

“As much as I want my brother safe, Magnus, he would _never_ forgive us if we portaled him out without you.”, Isabelle grabbed his wrist, holding him from doing magic. “The only way to save Alec’s life and put an end to this is to fight our way back. All of us go back home together. Okay, Magnus?”, she pulled her whip out and stood up, taking a stand next to her boyfriend. Clary pulled her knives out and Andrew was ready with his blades next to Lorenzo. “The sooner we defeat Lilith, the higher chance Alec has at recuperation”, she mumbled.

“We take down Lilith, and you stay back here with Alec and Jace”, Clary smiled at Magnus, holding her weapons firmly in her hand. Magnus awed at how further the little girl had come. He had seen her grow up oblivious of everything related to the Shadow World and then she embraced it all one day, only to become of the best Shadowhunter’s the Clave ever produced.

“I’ll be here with you guys”, Catarina offered, flaring up her red magic and taking a defensive stance in front of Magnus and Alec. Jace raised himself on his knees, lifting Alec's hand in his. Magnus felt a little at peace knowing that Alec's Parabatai was by his side too. _He wasn’t alone._

The reigning Prince of Edom stood up, taking his place next to Catarina, and raised his hands with clouds of purple magic searing on them. An epiphany struck him at the crux of the hour. He was back in Edom, fighting for his life, but, he wasn’t alone this time around. His eyes welled up with tears as Catarina joined their powers together and pulled up fresh shields around the castle and one specifically around Alec and Jace. Jace was carefully knelt on ground, holding, Alec’s hand in one hand and caressing his forehead with the other.

“See you in a bit”, Lorenzo smirked, taking Andrew into a portal with him. Magnus nodded with a weak smile on his face and turned his focus back on the skies above. Lilith was still flying at a low altitude, waiting for a crack in the shield to attack and slaughter Magnus and gain control of the kingdom. Magnus closed his eyes and slumped his shoulder. The magic in his hands disappeared, making Catarina aware of the sudden change in the warlock's demeanor.

“Hey?”, she called, retracting her own magic. Magnus looked up at his best friend. Her eyes softened, and a fond smile formed on her lips. She understood him. They didn’t need words between them. They never had. His friendship with Catarina was one of the most beautiful aspects of his immortal life. “What’s up?”, she grabbed his shoulders and gave them a squeeze. Magnus needed the comfort.

Magnus sucked his lips in as they trembled, and he shook his head. He could feel his throat locked with emotions. He shut his eyes and dropped his chin. Perhaps, he wasn’t strong enough to deal with so many things at this time.

“Come on. Let us get this over with?”, Catarina shook him by his shoulders and tapped his chin. Magnus took a deep breath and nodded. He turned his back to Alec and Jace and raised his hands back up. Purple magic creeped out of his hands, ready to destroy everything in its path.

…

Simon and Isabelle looked up at the red skies of Edom screeching with thunder. There was a distance cyclone gaining momentum a few tens of miles from the castle and wraiths hovered around the dust cloud, as if they were giving it power. Lilith was preparing for battle. They activated their alliance rune and Isabelle felt the surge of Simon's vampire strength in her veins. She pulled her whip out and the electrum in her whip reacted to the vampire venom energy in her blood. She hissed as a sting pinched her through. “Izzy”, Simon swallowed, looking at the vast expanse of the hellish realm in front of them.

“We’ve got this, Si!”, Isabelle assured, gripping her whip with her hands. Simon moved around, sticking his back to the female Shadowhunter and fisted his hands. “ _You_ have got this”, she reminded the boy. Simon nodded, knowing Izzy wouldn’t be able to see this non-verbal response from his side but he was too scared to actually realize it. 

“I mean, obviously, Jace and I have trained for this”, he blurted out. The metals of his knives creaked as he pulled them out of the cases tucked to his jeans. Izzy had made special _adamas-less_ weapons for Simon to fight.

“You have my agility and my strength”, Izzy tapped the ground to check for soft spots that could hinder their combat.

“And your love?”, Simon asked, cheekily. Izzy snorted, momentarily losing focus on the field. She turned around and cupped the Vampire's jaws with her hands as her whip hung lose on her neck.

“Yes, my love too”, she assured with a smile on her face. Simon swallowed thickly. He was still petrified of this battle but if Isabelle trusted him to be fine, he trusted her trust. She leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on his lips. Simon smiled sloppily and kissed her back. “You can do this?”, she encouraged with a question.

“I can do this!”, Simon took a deep breath and nodded.

“You can do this!”, Isabelle confirmed. “I am going to go around the castle to see if there’s any breach that hasn’t been manned by us”

“Call me if you need me”, Simon nodded, taking position outside the main gates of Asmodeus' lair. The wraiths followed Isabelle as she used Vampire speed to cover the boundaries of the castle. Simon had been training with Jace to learn hand-to-hand combat and he used his vampire strength to pull the Eidolons with their limbs apart. They screeched before disappearing as ash and Simon was onto the next demon in the snap of a second. He took a look around the battlefield. His friends were holding up their ends of the fight with utmost bravery. Meliorn's staff destroyed demons with a single stab as he flew around with his faerie energy, keeping the wraiths away from the main gates of the castle. They hadn’t been able to pull Lilith back to the battlefield. Her demon self was hovering around Magnus' layer, waiting for the opportunity to kill the reigning Prince of Edom.

Two years ago, Simon would have never believed if anyone told him that in a span of two years, there would come a time where the Downworlders would willingly risk their lives for the Nephilim and vice versa. Meliorn and Lorenzo had nothing at stake in this battle. Lorenzo's boyfriend was safely with him and Meliorn was at the brink of being crowned as the King of the Seelies. _Yet_ , they were both here, fighting for Magnus and risking their lives for no selfish gain. Simon knew Meliorn was looking out for Jace. This unusual friendship had been a topic of multiple bar nights at the Hunters Moon and dinner conversations but everytime Jace or Meliorn did something for each other, Simon would be filled with a sense of extreme admiration for these two friends. If there was hope for them, there was definitely hope for the entire world to become a better place one day. He watched the Seelie Knight swoop in front of him and take down two Raveners that were now joining Lilith’s battle against Magnus.

“You have a death wish?”, Meliorn taunted, pushing the dead remains of the demon from his way. Simon flickered his pupils and shook his head. “Then, stop dreaming about Isabelle and fight. We are not getting out of here alive.”, he pinched his shoulder before driving his staff through another wraith that was headed at them. Simon scratched the back of his neck and leaped forward, taking two more demons out by ripping their bodies apart.

“Simon, duck”, he heard Clary shout from somewhere behind him and he obeyed her. A strong beam of sunlight scorched a line of demons ahead of Simon and the Vampire held his chest as he calmed his breathing. Clary was using her sunlight rune, thanks to Lorenzo's magic that was behaving miraculously in its homeground.

“Fray! That was a lethal”, Simon gasped, dusting his shirt as Clary gave him a hand up. The redhead chuckled, holstering one of her knives. She had a dust stain on her cheek, probably, from the ashes of a dead demon and her hair was up from on directions, poking out of the tight ponytail she had tied them up in.

“All of this would mean nothing if we can’t take Lilith down, though”, the girl pointed out. Simon looked over his shoulder and saw Lilith throwing fireballs at the lair. The two friends looked at each other and slumped their shoulders. “She is too smart. She won’t take the bait”, Clary groaned. “Magnus is who she wants, and she won’t stop”

They gasped in unison as a lightning thunder hit the ground a few yards ahead of them. Lorenzo landed on the ground from the air and smirked. That was him. That lightning bolt. Andrew rolled the blades in his hand, walking closely behind Lorenzo, keeping a cover for him. “We need to lure Lilith out from hitting Magnus and Catarina”, Lorenzo wiped his forehead and yelled at the others. Isabelle skid on the ground in front of them.

“How?”, Clary threw her hands in the air.

“She is never going to leave Magnus alone”, Simon commented.

“There _has_ to be something?”, Andrew asked, holstering his blades.

“Something that Lilith would want _over_ Magnus' life?”, Isabelle completed the thought for Underhill. She tightened the whip back in her hand and lifted her hands to her hip. Meliorn joined them a minute later, panting for breath.

“Do you guys see that?”, he bent down, holding his knees for support.

“See what?”, Isabelle frowned,looking around herself. Her stance grew alert in a second. 

“That dent in the sky?”, Meliorn lifted his chin up to gesture towards the atmosphere. Isabelle looked up and so did the others. There were red clouds gathering in the sky, and lightning bolts flashing across it. Other than that, _nothin_ –

“By the Angel”, Clary gasped, noticing the little crack that was crackling in the atmosphere. It was close to the remnants of the rift that Jonathan had opened onto earth. The rift that was being held close by the combined energies of the angelic energies from Shadowhunter’s and the demonic souls of the Downworld leaders that helped close it. “If the rift opens…”, she gasped, fear gripping her.

“We can’t let that happen”, Lorenzo mumbled, swaying his hands in the air as he levitated. “But”, he stopped mid-air, frowning as an idea struck him. “Maybe we could use this to our advantage…”

“How do you mean?”, Simon arched his brows.

“What realm will Lilith rule if Edom ceases to exist?”, Lorenzo tipped his chin.

“We can’t possibly destroy Edom?”, Isabelle snorted.

“But it's already happening!”, Clary smiled, understanding the hidden perspective from Lorenzo's point of view. The warlock smirked back at her and nodded in acknowledgment. “We just need to accelerate it?”, she arched a brow.

“Exactly!”, Lorenzo tilted his head.

“And if she doesn’t stop us, she perishes with the realm”, Isabelle bobbed her neck.

“So, what, we just destroy the world where we presently are? Wouldn’t that kill us?”, Andrew sighed, shifting his seraph blade in the other hand.

“Well, we just have to make sure we leave before the realm collapses”, Lorenzo smiled. “No big deal, right?”, he teased his boyfriend.

“Of course, babe!”, Andrew sighed again. Isabelle chuckled at their interaction.

“I am going to go and warn Magnus and Catarina. Grab Lilith's attention and have a portal ready”, Isabelle took her whip back out. Simon and Meliorn aligned themselves around Lorenzo, taking demons out as the warlock used blue tendrils of his magic that reached out to the dent in Edom's stability core. He thrusted his wrist, shooting a wave of energy that shook the plane, eliciting thunderstorms in response. Andrew's blade passed through the demon's exoskeleton, burning them into oblivion.

He had been Alec's chief of security for over two years now and most of his missions required him to be within the four walls of the Institute. However, he was also a trainer martial artist Nephilim who used combat as his specialism at the Academy. A soldier who was as good with technology as he was with fieldwork. Andrew Underhill’s first choice of posting had been New York, particularly because a certain Alec Lightwood headed the organization. Alec’s name was a well-known one in the Shadow World. His Institute had been the one who destroy Valentine Morgenstern, banish Lilith back, rescue Ithuriel and save Alicante from Jonathan's invasion. And Alec Lightwood had been the first openly homosexual Shadowhunter in the Shadow World. His confidence had inspired millions of Shadowhunter’s like him, including the present Clave Consul's daughter Aline Penhallow who was engaged to her girlfriend Helen Blackthorn. It was truly an honor for Andrew to be a part of such an iconic. With his growing prestige within the Institute, Alec had given him the responsibility of overhauling all the defense systems, including the adamas that secured the walls. Therefore, coming to Edom to help his boss had been a no-brainer for him. More so because his boyfriend was accompanying him on the mission. Andrew had met Lorenzo at one of the Downworld Cabinets and hit off almost instantly.

They had been together for almost a year, and Alec was the one person Andrew had first disclosed about the nature of his relationship. He had been his confidant and biggest cheerleader, despite battling his emotions for the two years that his ex-boyfriend had been missing from the face of this earth.

“We need to talk about your murderous tendencies, Enzo”, Andrew mumbled, shoving demons out of his way with his blades.

“I don’t follow, darling”, Lorenzo landed on the ground and fired two Raveners with his magic. “Cover me?”, he asked, raising his hand in the air.

“Go ahead”, Underhill mumbled, focusing his attention on keeping demons away from Lorenzo. The warlock swiveled his hands, throwing a beam of magic right at the eye of the dent in Edom's sky. The atmosphere shook with tremors, telling Lorenzo that his plan was working.

Lilith simultaneously shrieked, feeling the quakes on the surface of the realm. She turned her attention to the Shadowhunters in the battlefield and flapped her wings to gain height before her flight. Swooping in towards Simon and Andrew, she blew a blast of fireball at them. Lorenzo cut through the attack with a wave of ice and smirked as Andrew gaped in awe as Lilith flinched at the warlock's retaliation. Lorenzo tipped his neck up, channeling his magic back into shattering the stability of this realm. With Andrew and Simon working to keep demons away from him, he just had to maintain his spell until this world collapsed and took Lilith down with him.

A fog of purple magic spiraled around Lorenzo's golden yellow one like a snake. The warlock followed the source of the magic and saw Magnus appearing in the middle of the battlefield, a few yards away from them. He lowered himself back on the ground as Simon and Magnus joined them. “What is Magnus doing here? The plan was to lure Lilith out...”, Lorenzo grunted as the prince of Edom released a shield around them, keeping the demon’s at bay.

“Lilith wants me…and so she’s going to get me”, Magnus waved his hands dramatically. A portal opened inside the shield and Jace and Alec walked out with the help of Isabelle. Lorenzo could sense a separate shield keeping Jace and Alec safe from the rest of Edom. Alec was still unconscious, slumped against his brother and held up with the help of Cat's magic. His skin was pale and blue and his breathing shallow. The wound around his abdomen had clotted with dark brown stains of blood all over his t-shirt. Magnus took a breath and gently swayed a hand on Alec's forehead. His skin was cold and sweaty. Pressing a gentle kiss on his cheekbone, Magnus turned back around, flicking his hand. Jace lowered himself on the ground and held Alec's head in his lap.

“Go ahead… I’ll keep him safe”, the Parabatai ensured.

“Let’s end this”, Isabelle huffed. The gang gathered themselves keeping Jace and Alec in the middle of the circle. Magnus gracefully waved his hand again, aiding Lorenzo as they aimed their magic at the dent in the sky. The shield around them lowered and the demon’s swooped in, including their Queen Lilith. Her gaze fixed on Magnus as she flapped a gust of wind to disturb his balance. Isabelle launched her whip and used Simon's stamina to jump across and hit the demon with electrum. Lilith screamed in pain and waved her tail in their direction. Andrew skillfully shoved them out of her way and she crashed her tail into a small mound nearby. Lorenzo shivered as the dent in their sky widened. Some of the demons close to the rift roared as they were sucked into oblivion.

Clary drew her sunlight rune to combust a few Ravenors crawling towards Jace and Alec and then, her stamina rune to gain momentum. “Magnus, I can take her”, she grunted, running towards the Queen of Hell. Magnus looked over his shoulder and saw the redhead running with a strange rune shining in her other hand. He watched as she leaped in the sky, defying gravity and pulled her kindjals out.

“Catarina, now”, Magnus yelled, realizing that this was his window. The warlock nodded and opened up a portal very close to Jace and Alec. She lowered herself back on the ground and helped the two Parabatais up, pulling them into the conduit with her. Lorenzo thrusted another ball of magic as him and Andrew made their way towards the portal, walking backward and killing any demon that came too close to them or their way back home.

“Clary??”, Magnus asked.

“Magnus, I got this!”, Clary assured.

She looked over her shoulder and gave a nod to Isabelle. Raising her knives as Magnus’ fog engulfed her and her weapons, Clary waited for her blades to imbue Magnus' energies. He groaned in pain, using all his magical powers to bestow enough power in Clary's kindjals. She came too close to the demon and threw her knives into her torso. Lilith bellowed in pain. Clary shielded her face from the incoming shards of the collapsing realm and demon. Isabelle used her whip to pull Clary back to the ground as Magnus collapsed with exhaustion.

“Come on Magnus”, Isabelle pulled the warlock up, holding Clary in her other hand. Magnus breathed and got up. Andrew has stepped into the portal. Lorenzo tilted his as he saw Magnus' trudging frame. He ran to him and grabbed his waist.

“Magnus, we need to go. It’s just a few more yards and we’re going to be home. You cannot give up now.”, he warned. The world around them tore open, the skies falling with lava spewing out of the rocks. Edom fell apart as Isabelle entered the portal and it closed behind them.

…

Magnus’ throat felt dry when he opened his eyes again. He was in New York, lying on his couch with Catarina and Lorenzo hovering above him. He took a deep breath and scratched his forehead. His vision was still blurry, and he was thirsty.

“Welcome back, buddy”, Catarina's soft voice felt like a drum hitting his head. He furrowed his brows and pressed his head on the leather of his couch which felt warm and wet with his perspiration. “ _He is okay_ ”… “ _His magic has just been depleted_ ”. This was Lorenzo's voice as his magic scanned through Magnus’ body and analysed his present state.

“Alexander?”, he mumbled, holding his palm over his eyes to protect them from the blinding lights in his living room. Catarina gently upped him on the same couch and pushed a glass of water in his hand. Magnus drank the glass empty, while still keeping his eyes closed. “Alec?”, he asked again.

“He is in your room. Isabelle and Helen are trying their best to stabilize him”, she informed. Magnus shot his eyes opened and they watered up because of the flashlights around. He raised his hand to scratch his brows when his finger pulled at his brow ring and he flinched in pain.

“I need to see him”, Magnus placed his fists on either side on his hips to push himself off the couch when steady hands pushed him back.

“None of us can see him”, Lorenzo warned. He was sat on the coffee table in front of Magnus. “The Heavenly Fire is sensitive to demonic presence. We could trigger Alec to spontaneously combust”, he shrugged. Magnus widened his eyes and looked towards his room. The curtains were waving with wind and he could see Helen standing over Alec lying on their bed. His face wasn’t visible but his bare chest with his injuries in display were.

“The most we can do is wait and hope that Alec holds on”, Catarina sighed. Magnus snapped his head back to his friend and choked as his throat tightened.

“What do you mean?”, he asked.

“Alec’s injuries are far more severe than anything I have ever seen in my life, Magnus”, she dropped her chin. “If he wasn’t a trained Shadowhunter, I don’t think he would have survived for so long... especially after so much bloodloss”, she tucked her hairs behind her ear.

“Alec is a fighter”, Magnus argued, tears brimming in his eyes.

“Which is why, there’s still hope, Magnus”, Catarina pursed her lips and shrugged – a small smile appearing on her lips. “Come on, you need to rest”, she offered him a bar of dark chocolate and some juice. Magnus bit onto the bar of dark chocolate and nodded. They were interrupted when Isabelle stepped out of his room and removed her surgical gloves, shoving them in her lab coat. She pulled her hair out of the ponytail and flipped them over her head. There was a clear stress on her face. Her lab coat was smudged with remnants of blood which Magnus assumed to be Alec’s.

Jace was lounging on a sofa, his legs pulled up and his head on Clary’s chest. She was carefully stroking his hair, comforting his troubled mind. Isabelle dropped on her knees in front of her brother and held her forehead in her palms. Magnus furrowed his brows, getting up from his couch, much against Cat’s will.

“It’s too risky... we cannot... we will never get clearance for this...”, he heard Jace whispering at his sister. Clary’s hand went to her boyfriend’s shoulder and she placed her palm flat on his collarbone.

“Calm down, Jace”, she mumbled.

“We don’t have another option”, Isabelle massaged her temple.

“What is going on?”, Magnus gasped. “Is Alexander alright?”, he swallowed the fear down his throat. Isabelle lifted her chin in his direction. Her expression was incomprehensible. Somewhere between hostile and concerned. She closed her eyes when they met with Magnus’ and took a deep breath. Possibly to calm herself down.

“The Heavenly Fire in Alec’s blood is resenting any treatment we try to give him”, she explained. “He’s still bleeding internally... and we cannot do anything about it. All the medicines I am injecting are being oxidized by the Heavenly Fire, rendering them either toxic or unable to be used”, she shrugged. Her eyes had bags under them and he could count her veins in them.

“How did you... deal with this before... when you?”, Magnus took a deep breath, his tongue not helping him talk.

“We just quarantined Isabelle after she had an episode with Simon... which almost killed her”, Jace told him. Magnus frowned. “When they kissed for the first time, Isabelle’s blood reacted to Simon’s demonic energy and she almost died... so... we just prohibited her from any missions and seeing Simon until she was free...”, he explained, understanding Magnus’ confusion.

“And we cannot quarantine Alexander because?”

“Alec will bleed to death before the Heavenly Fire leaves his system”, Isabelle clenched her teeth. _He didn’t have enough time_.

“But you... were talking about another option right when I entered?”, Magnus raised his index finger, gesturing his entrance from the general direction of the couch he was resting on.

Jace and Isabelle exchanged a look before Isabelle stood up. “I have developed a compound in the Lab using the latest tech…”, she explained. “It’s imbued with Heavenly Fire and potentially, could clean Alec’s blood of the serum”

“Potentially?”

“I have not had a chance to test it on a Shadowhunter”, she gulped.

Magnus’ heart skipped a beat as they reached another crossroad. “What are the chances that it works?”, he asked, weakly. 

“It worked in the animals I tested it on... they were all cured of the serum poisoning within hours of application”, she swallowed.

“I am sensing there’s a _but_ coming?”, he asked.

“One of the four animals I tested it on, died due to lead toxicity... induced by this compound”, she blinked, looking away.

“And... you’re sure that the toxicity was due to this compound?”, Magnus asked.

“Yeah... because the compound has Lead as the active metal... which reacted with the other free Lead ions in the animal’s body...damaging their liver irreparably”, she explained.

“It’s a 25% chance that Alec dies because of this treatment”, Jace scratched his stubble, heaving a deep sigh.

“What if you dialyze his blood?”, Magnus offered an idea based on the little knowledge he had from experience. “That way, we reduce the chance of the compound reacting to the bodily concentration of the metal?”, he arched his brows. Isabelle widened her eyes and snapped her head at Jace. She parted her lips as her eyes beamed with a little hope.

“Would that work?”, Jace asked.

“Theoretically... yes?”, Izzy responded. “But... we don’t have a proper dialyzer at Cat’s nursing home. We’ll need the one in my lab? And for that, we’ll need the Clave clearance. And they would never allow this treatment before they have approved it for safe use”, she explained.

“That’s ironic, considering how they used the serum to cure Downworlders against their will”, Magnus taunted, unapologetically.

“The rules have changed Magnus. Jia Penhallow isn’t as bad as the rest of the Council members. She cares about people's lives”, Isabelle rebutted.

“Well, then we only have one way. We steal it from your lab”, Magnus was determined to save Alec. “It’s a good thing the wards still are accessible to me?”, Magnus felt his chest rise with renewed hope.

“You’ve depleted your magic...”, Isabelle argued. Magnus raised his gaze, his eyes turning a deep Edomai red.

“I am the prince of Edom, Isabelle. I am always surging with magic”, he lifted his hand and red magic swiveled around his fingertips like a glitter trail. “Let’s go to the Institute and fetch whatever you need to save your brother’s life?”, he arched his brows offering her the idea. Isabelle took a deep breath and looked at her brother. She pulled her labcoat out and threw it on the couch.

“Tell Helen to keep my brother from slipping away. We’ll be back soon”, she stepped into the portal after Magnus and the conduit disappeared with them.

...

Isabelle and Magnus sneaked into Izzy’s lab using a small flashlight. It was late at night in the institute and there were only a few Shadowhunter’s on duty at this time of the day. She bolted the room from inside and turned one light on. “Thank the Angel. I didn’t think I would run into a Lightwood today at all”, Izzy heard a young boy’s voice and placed her arm as Magnus conjured magic in their defense.

“He won’t hurt us”, she assured the warlock. “What are you doing here?”, she asked the boy, stepping forward towards him.

“Waiting... for a damned explanation…and one of your…”, the boy turned to Isabelle with a furious expression on his face. He was sitting on one of her working desks with his legs hanging down. His eyes softened when he saw how tired she looked and then he spotted Magnus standing next to her. “Is that?”, he popped his eyes open in excitement. “Are you Magnus Bane?”, he asked.

“I am?”, Magnus narrowed his brows.

“Raziel... fucking finally”, he threw his hands in the air dramatically and grinned like an idiot.

“Matt, language?”, Izzy scolded.

“Oh right, sorry”, he placed his palm over his mouth and jumped off his seat. Magnus followed his movement and widened his eyes in horror as he heard the boy’s name. _Matt_. Matt was a young Shadowhunter. Not the love of Alec’s life. He relaxed himself and noticed a slight limp in the way the boy walked and checked his legs. One of his legs was an artificial prosthetic – anchored to his body on his hip bone.

“So, _you_ are Alec’s Magnus. Damn... I know why he’s so smitten with you... anyone would be...”, he clapped, grabbing his backpack which seemed rather heavy. “By the way, I was planning on crashing in your room while waiting for you...”, Matt looked at Izzy and tipped his chin in her direction.

“Magnus... meet Matt! Young Shadowhunter, irritating and bright”, she joked. Matt stuck his tongue out and rolled his eyes. “Alec is his legal guardian and his trainer too…”, she explained. Matt held his hand out towards Magnus who was shocked beyond his guts when he found the truth about this Matt figure. He was relieved... and appalled at the same time, to see the boy. There was a sense of satisfaction that Alec hadn’t moved on and a pride when he saw what Matt meant to Alec.

“Matt... Branwell. Matt Branwell”, the boy introduced himself.

“Branwell?”, Magnus arched a brow, holding his hand out.

“Yup”, the boy popped the p. “Now which of you is going to tell me where Alec is?”, he pointed his index finger between the two people.

“Alexander...”, Magnus breathed out.

“Alexander?”, Matt teased, a smile appearing on his face. Magnus reddened as he tore his gaze away. “Don’t worry, I am not teasing. It’s very cute”, he complimented. “So, where’s he?”

“He... he”, Magnus stammered.

“He’s a little hurt”, Isabelle interrupted the warlock. “But he’s going to be fine...”, she raised her hands when Matt panicked. “He just needs to rest... and so do you. So, go back home and I will call you as soon as he wakes up?”

“I was told the same thing by Jace the other day... and?”

“No... I promise. I will call you”, Isabelle smiled.

“Fine... but don’t forget it... or I’ll make your room my home”, he warned.

“Got it”, Izzy chuckled.

“It was really good to meet you, Magnus. ”, Matt turned to him. “I hope you and Alec get to talk... once... he’s well”, he smiled. “ _And_ …even _we_ get to meet for a second time!”, the brown eyed boy winked.

Magnus felt delighted as he smiled back at the young Nephilim. He nodded at him, acknowledging his statement. “It was an honor to meet you too”, he responded. Matt grabbed his things and hopped out of the lab stealthily.

“Ok... let’s grab the compound and the dialyzer”, Izzy sprinted across to her working desk.

Magnus sealed the door shut with his magic and took a moment to absorb the newly fed information. Matt wasn’t Alec’s boyfriend. Alec wasn’t dating someone else. Alec was still single... for all he knew. He smiled at the thought, recalling their kiss in Edom and how there was a hope after all.

“Matt is a Branwell?”, he muttered the name subconsciously. Izzy stopped looking for the compound in the freezer and popped her head out of the door.

“He’s Lydia’s adopted son, if that’s what you’re asking!”, she told him.

“Lydia?”

“Yeah... she adopted him two years ago... right after her almost wedding to Alec”

“Where’s she now?”, Magnus recalled the blonde ex-fiancée of his ex-boyfriend.

“Dead”, Izzy responded, bluntly. “She died in Jonathan’s invasion of Idris... and before she did... she made Alec promise that he would always take care of Matt and then her will... her will stated that she was making Alec his legal guardian... until he turned eighteen. He’s responsible for all the cash that Lydia saved for Matt until he’s old enough to have it for himself.”, Izzy explained,

“Matt lost his leg in the battle?”

“No... he was... he was two when his parents were in a car crash south of Texas. The Clave rescued him because he was a mundane with a Sight... and then it turned out that his parents were both Shadowhunters abandoned by their families... so they never got their runes...”

“Matt doesn’t have parents?”

“Nope, Lydia officially adopted him and when she died, she left him under Alec's care. There’s no one else she could have trusted with her son. Alec trains him every Tuesday. He’s teaching him to fight despite having a disadvantage. Matt lives in a community home in Brooklyn and Alec pays for his tuition and lets him have a mundane life as a school student as well”, she told him, proud of her brother. Magnus smiled at that. “You should totally see them together...”, she was grinning now. Putting the compound in an ice-box, she grabbed her dialyzing instrument and sneaked out of the Lab.

“How old is he?”

“He turned thirteen this year”, Izzy pushed the door of her room open. A portal was waiting for them. “Matt is the only reason Alec still has some will to live...”, she sighed. “After he broke up with you...”, she began and then stopped. Unable to reveal the truth to Magnus as per her promise to Alec, she shook her head. “Nevermind”. Magnus guided her back into the apartment and straight into his room where Alec was still unconscious, breathing weakly.

“I know about the deal”, he whispered as Izzy put her coat back on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we finally met Matt. He was never meant to be a someone who Alec would move on with. He was ALWAYS going to be someone Alec found solace in, in absence of love in his life. He channelled his love into his care and affection for Lydia's adopted son, and I think that helped him eventually deal with the pain of his breakup with Magnus.
> 
> And, there's the first part of this chapter was all about Magnus believing that he had a family to fall back on and that they will fight with him, and for him. The support he thought he never had, was given back to him. I thought these two arcs needed to be dealt with and catered to.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the world deserves more of magnus/maryse and magnus/catarina

Two hours after Izzy and Helen began their treatment on Alec, they were able to chelate every last bit of the serum from his blood. Magnus stood on the door of his room, his shoulder leaning on the frame and hands crossed on his chest. Alec hadn’t woken up since they were in Edom and he was a little worried about the same. However, Izzy had assured him that his vitals were looking alright. Catarina had gone back home for a bit to check on Madzie and let her know that she was back from Edom. She was going to come back later and do some tests on Alec once it was safe for Downworlders to come near him. Magnus observed Alec's unconscious frame lying on an operation table that Cat had summoned from her clinic. She had magic-ed away all the furniture from Magnus’ bedroom and transformed it into an operation theatre with Shadowhunters' tech thanks to Aline and Helen who had sneaked it out of the infirmary. Clary had returned to the Institute to inform Luke and Maryse about their mission and Alec's present condition as well as handle any prying Institute eyes. Jace was still resting on the couch and he was the one indication that Magnus had that suggested that Alec’s pain had subsided.

Izzy pulled her mask out after pushing the vial of Heavenly Fire serum into an icebox. They fixed an oxygen mask on Alec's nose and a blood bag to supplement his blood loss. His veins were pricked and injections to stop bleeding were given. Magnus saw Izzy's soft smile as they watched the monitors and Alec's vitals came up to the normal range. She pressed a kiss on his cold forehead and lowered the lighting in the room. Magnus took a deep breath and relaxed as they came out of their operation gear and left the room to allow Alec to rest.

“He is doing fine”, Izzy whispered, pulling her hair tie out to let her hair fall open.

“When is he going to wake up?”, Magnus asked, turning around to follow Izzy out into his living room.

“As soon as the medicines start working and he gets some blood in his system. Don’t worry Magnus. We’ve won the toughest part of the battle. Now we just wait for him to heal enough to activate his iratze”, she informed. Simon was resting on a couch opposite Jace and she gently brushed Magnus’  shoulder and made her way to join her boyfriend. Clary and Catarina entered his apartment together, chatting precariously about something.

“The Institute is doing alright. But”, she paused as her boyfriend and Izzy perched their necks up. “I had to come clean to Luke and your mother”, she sighed. “Maryse will be here in some time to check on Alec. I tried to stop her but…”, lifted her shoulders and slumped them.

“Hey, it’s okay, Clary.”, Izzy smiled again. Magnus heaved a sigh in relief because he could see the same on Izzy's face. “Come on now, you should rest for a bit too. We’ve all been awake for days”, she added, gesturing the redhead to join Jace on the couch. Catarina reached Magnus and gave him a tight hug before they settled on a sofa together. Magnus lowered his head and settled it on her lap. She entangled his fingers in his undercut and gently massaged his scalp as he cuddled with his friend. “Madzie is sure that Alec is going to make it”, the warlock tucked his hair away from his forehead and attempted to lighten Magnus’ mood. “How did the chelation go?”, she asked.

“Izzy removed the serum and has attached Lead monitors to Alec's veins. So we would know if there’s an abnormal change in the levels”, Magnus informed her, before sitting straight back up on the sofa. He swallowed dryly and looked around his apartment. Izzy and Simon were nestled in each other's arms on a couch near the balcony. Their legs were twisted together under a blanket and they were sharing a blood bag. Their alliance rune, as Clary called it, was still active and after all that the brunette had done to save Alec's life, she must have been rightfully exhausted and starved. Of all the scenarios that Magnus had imagined, Simon and Isabelle had been a surprise. A nerdy Vampire who fell in love with one of the fiercest of her kinds. Isabelle Lightwood, New York Institute's most prized possession, top class forensic pathologist and weapons master found her one true love in Clary's best friend. Magnus looked at the two of them and how sincerely they were in love with each other. He had seen Simon risk his life for Izzy in the battlefield in Edom. They must have been together for quite a while. He tore his gaze away as Izzy tiredly stretched her neck and captured Simon's lips in his.

He dropped his head on Cat's shoulder while she went through the reports on Alec's condition, checking his vitals. Magnus looked at Alec's Parabatai whose head was in Clary's lap. He had a duvet wrapped around him like a burrito and his expressions were slightly less contorted than before. Clary was gently massaging his forehead, relieving his tension. Despite his disparate background, Jace Herondale had been a good man, and a loyal Parabatai to his brother. Magnus couldn’t have asked for more than that. He just wanted someone to love Alec just the way he deserved. Shaking his head with a smile on his face, Magnus looked away only to find Andrew and Lorenzo in one corner of the room. Another Shadowhunter who fell in love with a warlock. Magnus had definitively not anticipated this union. Lorenzo was asleep on Andrew's chest while the Nephilim played with the locks of his hair. Andrew had been one of the Shadowhunter’s Alec would never shut up about. To think that he had fallen for Lorenzo Rey, and had been monumental in changing the way the warlock looked at his own life and his own relationships had been an eye-opener. Lorenzo deserved this stability in his life. This constant force of positivity. Just like Alec been in his. It was such a delight to see two people live their love to the fullest.

“When did _Lorenzo_ and Andrew start dating?”, he asked, tipping his chin up in their direction.

“It’s been a while. He brought the Shadowhunter to a warlock-only Gala. That’s when we knew he was special”, Catarina told him.

Magnus closed his eyes as they burned with tears. These people had marched to Edom to fight beside him. To lend their hand. They had no reason to be there except for that they _wanted_ to. “I can’t believe all of you came to Edom”, Magnus mumbled, plucking at the hems of his satin shirt.

“I wouldn’t have let this opportunity go”, Catarina shrugged, placing her head atop Magnus’ on her shoulder. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you like this…”

“Like what?”, Magnus asked.

“Like my old Magnus Bane. The one who was strong enough to feel heartbroken and yet, live through it”, she lifted her arm and placed it around the man.

“I don’t know about that, Catarina”, Magnus chuckled sadly.

“Hey, we’ve got you back. _And_ we have a lifetime of figuring out how to deal with all this… together”, she emphasized. Magnus felt the overwhelming surge of emotions. He had been saved. Through Alec's perseverance and his friends' help. All the people he thought had abandoned him, had actually saved his life from his father and Lilith.

“I cannot thank you, enough” he shook his head.

“You don’t have to. We owed it to you”, she stopped him mid-sentence. “You know, I hated Alec for the longest time”, she entangled their fingers together. “For what he did to you… the way he broke your heart and you disappeared”

“It was _all_ my father's doing”, Magnus corrected her.

“Well, I didn’t know until Izzy came clean to me about him…right before we were about to leave for Edom”, she told him.

“I came to know about the deal only few days ago myself”, Magnus shrugged.

“Alec really kept his side of the deal. Magnus, can you remember any other Shadowhunter before the Lightwoods who would do something like this… for Downworlders?”

“Even Maryse Lightwood would have not”, he shrugged.

“Exactly. But Alec and Isabelle. They are well-brought up people”, she commended. “Even Jace…despite his traumatic past”

“I agree”

“When you started dating Alec, I had been so scared that he wouldn’t be worth your loyalty and affection. Shadowhunters aren’t exactly the best role models around”

“Tell me about it”, Magnus rolled his eyes. “Valentine practically tried to eradicate us”

“And then I met Alec, through you”, she smiled.

“Alexander isn’t like anyone I have ever met in my long life, Catarina”, Magnus confessed. “I don’t think I have ever seen someone so selfless, and full of love before. He’s possibly the best one around.”, he gushed about the boy. “In my multiple relationships, no one ever put me first. My needs, my happiness. All of them just assumed that I would do it for them”, he chuckled recalling Camille and then Imasu. “But this man. Catarina, he sat and listened to my father insult him for 15 minutes. He let my father bully him into leaving me because he thought that his love would never be enough for me”

“Alec’s a special one. I didn’t believe it at first…and frankly, until this morning, I wouldn’t have but he saved you…and he fought with a Greater Demon. That man is strong”, Catarina rubbed his thigh, slapping it gently.

“He is”, Magnus smiled, proudly. In his hundreds years of existence, Alexander Gideon Lightwood had been the only one who put Magnus first. Who chose him.

“I feel so guilty for not realising it sooner. All the times, he–”, she stopped talking as Jace coughed slightly, alerting Catarina and Izzy. The man just waved it off casually, falling asleep again on Clary's lap.

Magnus looked over his shoulder to steal a glance inside the room. Alec’s frame was still and unmoving. He was still unconscious. “You were saying something?”

“Do you know I lost count of the number of times he came to give ice-cream to Madzie. I never allowed him inside the door”, Catarina told him. “And… _and_ he did the same thing a few days ago. Right after you came back. He gave a tub of ice-cream to Madzie and suggested that she should go and spend some time with you”, the nurse warlock casually told him. “I never got to the point of asking Madzie if she ever made it to your place”

“She did”, Magnus sniffed, tears brimming in his eyes. If he ever thought, he couldn’t possibly love Alec any more. “She came in with my favorite flavor of ice-cream and trust me, I needed it…”

“Wow. Your boy really knows the way to be a good man”, she complemented. Magnus closed his eyes and tilted his neck against the backrest of the couch. “He is going to be just fine, Magnus”, she assured the warlock.

“I hope the same. He doesn’t deserve to suffer because of me or my father”, Magnus whispered with his eyes still shut. “I can’t help but think… about the last thing my father said to him”

“What was it?”

“He said that he would never allow Alec to have a complete and happy life”, Magnus reworded it out to his friend. “Cat, what if he did something? You know…?”

“Isabelle ran tests, Magnus? We’ll know in a few hours…and even if he did, Alec is responding to Izzy's treatment. It’s a _good_ sign. Your father is gone, Magnus. Don’t let him mess with your head.”, she squeezed his hand.

Magnus nodded, licking his chapped lips and turned his head to his left. “I wish the same. Alexander has been through enough…”

“You both have”, Cat corrected him. “…and it has _only_ solidified my trust in Alec. I can now say that your heart is safe in that man's hand”, she kissed his cheek and pulled him in a hug. “I am really really glad that you met him…and that he is the one that you love more than I have ever seen you love anyone”, she mumbled against his shoulder. And how right she was! Magnus couldn’t have expected himself to love someone the way he loved Alec. Not after the last few experiences with love. Alec was his home. His happy place. His safe haven.

The love of his life.

…

The entire apartment was quiet and asleep when Luke and Maryse portaled in with the help of Clary. The Lightwood matriarch pulled her muffler out and discarded her jacket off on the rack with the help of Luke and rushed straight in where Izzy and Jace were resting on different couches. She sighed in relief when she saw them with her own eyes – unhurt and unharmed. “How is Jace? Is he in a lot of pain?”, the mother crouched on the carpet in front of the couch Jace was sleeping on and tucked his hair away from his forehead.

Clary bent down and whispered, “He is doing fine now...”, she squeezed her shoulder. Maryse smiled, placing a palm over Clary’s. She kissed Jace’s forehead and stood up, collecting herself.

“Where is he?”, she asked, looking behind the redhead to shoot a disturbed glare at Luke. Clary could sense some tension between the two and decided to talk to Luke about it once they were alone. If this was because they’d hidden their excursion to Edom, she would have had to apologize on all their behalves.

Clary tilted her head, gesturing to follow her. They passed by Magnus and Catarina sleeping on the couch and Maryse gave the warlocks a small smile before she followed Clary inside the room. Alec was asleep on the operation table, his mouth strapped with an oxygen mask. He had tubes running through his radial arteries in one hand and a patient monitor plug on his index finger. “Izzy and Helen removed the serum from his blood a few hours ago”, Clary whispered. Luke grabbed Maryse’s shoulder as she slumped them down, looking at the state her eldest was in. “I don’t understand a lot about medicine, but he is responding to Izzy’s treatment. The internal bleeding has also stopped”

“Has he woken up yet?”, Maryse asked, sitting on Alec’s bed in a space next to his good hand. Clary pursed her lips and looked at Luke. She didn’t have the heart to tell her that Alec hadn’t woken up at all in front of her. The only one who had seen him awake and alive was Magnus. Luke understood her silence and placed a hand on Maryse’s shoulder to support her.

“He hasn’t...”, Clary responded, weakly. Maryse took a deep breath, her lips trembling as she placed her palm over Alec’s and lifted both their hands together close to her heart. She pressed a kiss on his cold knuckles and gently pushed Luke’s hand away from her shoulder.

“I want to be with Alec alone for some time. If you don’t mind, Luke. I am really sorry.”, she sniffed. Luke hummed, grabbing Clary’s hand as he walked out of the room. Clary half-hugged her father, letting out her own exhaustion and stress and he just whispered at her to keep calm. Maryse placed Alec’s hand back on the bed and caressed his forehead. He was sweating with strands of hair sticking to his skin. She wiped it off with the back of a sterile tissue and kissed him. “Hi, sweetheart”

Alec didn’t respond. Maryse felt her heart sink. Alec had never looked so weak and exhausted. His eyeballs had sunken in with dark circles around him. His lips were dry and chapped. She could feel his sharp cheekbones beneath her fingers. Alec was losing weight and energy. “You know... being a mother to you, Jace, Izzy _and_ Max... has given me such conflicting moments in my life... a struggle between being afraid for your well-being and immense pride because of how brave all the four of you are. It’s been a constant conflict for me...”, she pulled his blanket up to cover him from the cooling temperatures in the room, a very motherly instinct.

“But... I have never... _never_ been in this place”, she pursed her lips, her chin trembling with tears. “I am scared, baby”, she lifted Alec’s hand back up and placed it against her lips, kissing his palms. “Please be okay”, she requested. “I cannot lose you...”, she felt a gush of wind as someone entered the room. Not wanting to turn around and see who it was, Maryse kept caressing his son’s hand.

“Maryse”, she heard a very familiar sound. Keeping Alec’s hand back on his stomach, she wiped her tears off with the back of her fingers and licked her lips back to life.

“Magnus”, the woman turned, plastering a smile on her face. Magnus looked unkempt. His undercut had overgrown and so had his beard. He could feel his brow ring itch with injury and the hair on top of his head must have been spiked up in all directions. Maryse Lightwood, Alec’s mother and one of the most graceful women Magnus had had the pleasure of knowing spread her arms, embracing the warlock. “It is so good to see you”, she sighed against his neck. Magnus felt his throat bob as he lifted her hands on Maryse’s back, hugging her.

They parted from the hug but Maryse kept him close with her hands on either side of his shoulders. Magnus’ gaze was on the floor between them, his guilt making it hard for him to look into her eyes. “I am really sorry...”, he mumbled.

“How are you?”, Maryse said at the same time. Magnus swallowed, snapping his head up to meet the mother’s gaze. She noticed the dilemma in his head and scoffed, shaking her head fondly. He parted his lips to say something again, but she arched her brows, gesturing him to stop. “How are you?”

“I am... fine”, Magnus furrowed his brows in confusion.

“Good... come... sit with me. Alec is refusing to talk to me so, give me company while we annoy him”, she winked. Magnus grabbed a stool from the corner of the room and settled next to the bed, unable to look at Alec’s unconscious frame. “I suppose my kids have been intruding in your life in the last few weeks, haven’t they?”, she sighed, caressing Alec's forehead with her fingers.

“Your children saved my life”, Magnus admitted, cracking his knuckles. “…and Alexander, well”, he rolled his eyes, staring at his ex-boyfriend from the corner.

“I know _that.”,_ she smiled. “but they’re also messy…and immature at times”, she sighed, scratching her brow.

“Maryse”, Magnus tilted his head. “You don’t have to incriminate Alec and Izzy”, he swallowed. “I understand that none of this would have happened if I had been smart enough to uncover my father's games in time”, he pursed his lips.

“My son didn’t make it easy for you to think clearly”, Maryse defended the warlock. “…and before Alec apologizes for it, I would like to do it to”, she reached out and grabbed Magnus’ hands in hers. “So, on behalf of my boy…I am sorry”

“Maryse don’t”, Magnus shook his head. “Alexander…was just”

“Looking out for you?”, she arched a brow, completing Magnus’ sentence for him. Magnus smiled, looking away to hide his embarrassment. “I know why Alec did what he did… but he was acting on his instincts and I swear to the Angel, had I known that he was going to break up with you to get your magic back… I would have…”, she took a deep breath and looked at Alec. “Grounded him like old times”, she laughed. Magnus scoffed at that, fondly imagining a teenage Alec getting shouted at by his mother.

“It’s all in the past. I don’t hold it against Alexander”, he clarified.

Maryse placed Alec’s hand to her heart, listening to the weak pulse in his wrist. “I don’t condone his actions, Magnus... but my Alec has been very loyal... ever since he was very young. He would do anything for the people he cares about...”, she fixed her gaze on the Shadowhunter, as if she was waiting for him to wake up and kiss her hand. “... I am not defending him... but, I haven’t seen him love anyone the way he loves you”, she sighed. Magnus pursed his lips, slowly turning his head towards the Nephilim. “And I understand why...”

“I apologize he got hurt trying to save me”, Magnus slumped his shoulders.

“Don’t be. Alec is a soldier. He’s been trained to fight”, she shrugged. “I know it sounds ridiculous... but I won’t blame you for this. Sure, I am upset with Lucian and Isabelle but that’s because they hid their plans from me. I would never have stopped them if I knew how important it was to go to Edom”

“I am still sorry”

“I know you are. And if at all it makes you feel better, I accept your apology”, she smiled.

“Thank you, Maryse”

He flicked his wrist and summoned two glasses of water for himself and the Lightwood mother. “When Jace and Clary went to Edom...”, she continued again. “Alec was so sure they would find you there...”, Magnus smiled, watching Alec’s chest rise up and down as he breathed weakly.

“I was there”, he sighed.

“I know... and Jace did find Asmodeus in his lair... and he asked if your father had any idea where you were... but he just”, she licked her lips. “...blasted him out of his lair saying that he hadn’t seen you since he gave your magic”

“That pathological liar”, Magnus gritted his teeth. He remembered hearing familiar voices in the lair that day in Edom. Asmodeus had lied that it was a bunch of prisoners from Lilith’s original hideout.

“Anyway, let’s talk about something else. What’s done is done right? Tell me something good…something exciting… ”, she rubbed her knees and patted them. Magnus nodded, before his eyes widened with a certain recollection.

“Before I forget…”, he pulled a locket out of his pocket and handed it over to Maryse. “…this broke off when I was trying to resuscitate Alec”, he gave the Lightwood ring back to her. “Its better you keep it with you until Alec is fit enough for it”, he smiled at her.

Maryse took the ring and closed her fist around it, staring at the jewelry. “He should have given it to you when he had a chance”, she blurted out, sniffing a tear from her eyes. Magnus widened his eyes, raising his brows.

“What?”, he gasped.

Maryse looked up with horrified eyes and covered her mouth with her palm. She couldn’t believe that she had let something like this slip out of her mouth. “Magnus–”, she swallowed.

“Alexander was going to give this ring to me when?”, he enquired. He could feel his heart sinking as Maryse thumbed the ring in her hand.

“Ignore that, Magnus…”, she took a deep breath.

“I need to know, please. I promise I wouldn’t say a word to Alexander if you don’t want me to…”, leaned forward.

“Magnus”

“Maryse, please. I need to know.”

“Alec wanted to ask you to marry him… do you remember the night he planned a dinner in his balcony?”, she asked. Of course Magnus remembered every detail from that night he had crashed Alec's dinner plans by turning up drunk. “But he couldn’t…so”, she swallowed again.

“Alexander wanted to marry me?”, he sniffed, tears brimming in his eyes.

“Magnus, I am so sorry. Alec should have been the one to tell you about this”

“Why does he still wear this ring as a pendant?”, Magnus asked.

“He says he cannot find someone else who is deserving of this ring. That he cannot fall in love again”, she sighed. Alec shifted slightly on the bed but did not wake up. Magnus held his fist to his mouth, holding his tears back. “He had your name engraved on it…after you disappeared. He says that keeping you close to your heart gives him peace”

“Maryse, I hate him so much. Why did he have to love me so much!”, Magnus collapsed in the lady's arms, breaking down into muffled sobs. “But I hate my father more.”, he mumbled as she wrapped tight arms around him. Maryse rubbed his back, calming him down. He pulled back from the hug a minute later and wiped his cheeks dry.

“Alec’s love for you gives him the power he needs to protect your happiness, Magnus. And the love _you_ have for him, is your strength”, she squeezed his hands as he collected his thoughts together. “Both of you need to realise this…and that’s all”, she shrugged.

They were distracted when Alec's stat monitor went off, beeping and blaring a deep red. Both Magnus and Maryse stood up and saw Alec's pulse rate drop below critical levels. They each grabbed Alec's hand to help him breathe and Cat rushed in hearing the alarming sounds. Right before Alec lost his pulse, he arched his body up and seized. The seizures shook his body violently on the bed, tearing his skin apart in places where Izzy had secured glucose and blood bags lines. Magnus and Maryse grabbed Alec’s wrists to hold him steady but his body thumped and seized on the operation table, shooting reflexes in every direction. Magnus felt life leave his body as he saw Alec struggle for his own.

“Alexander, please, hold on for us”, he yelled, trying to calm the boy down. He caressed his forehead, holding his wrist with the other hand but the boy shivered and seized. His eyelids were half-open and his eyes rolled at the back of his head. Magnus gently flowed his magic out, trying to stop Alec's nerves from shooting and over-exciting.

Luke rushed in after he heard the sound of Alec's monitors beeping and took Maryse's place, holding her son steady. Maryse choked as she saw Alec in such a horrific condition. “I cant be here”, she raised her hands and rushed out of the room. Magnus swallowed thickly, shifting his gaze to Luke who gave him an encouraging look.

“Alec is going to be ok!”, he mumbled. Cat rushed in with a syringe of diazepam and injected it in Alec's wrist to stop the seizures. A few minutes later, Alec's body responded to treatment and he fell still on the bed again. Magnus and Luke let go off their hold on his wrists and panted for breath. That had been close.

Cat fixed the monitor plug back on his index finger to check Alec's vitals.

The monitor beeped again.

Alec had no heartbeat.

His ECG had flatlined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please forgive me for the medical inaccuracies. I am not a doctor. But, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'll be back on Saturday! See you!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> catarina runs tests on Alec.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we are, inching closer to the end with every chapter. But I promise you a lot of fluff before this arc ends. So, hold on for me through this final final phase of angst. This is the penultimate chapter to the angstiest piece of writing that I've ever written (Ch 18) and then things will eventually start looking up!
> 
> Enjoy!

Magnus collapsed a little when he saw the flat-line on Alec's ECG. He looked so still that it killed him. He gasped out his friend's name in panic. Luke was standing at the bottom of Alec's bed and Maryse was in the living room, Izzy and Jace calming her down. Cat asked Magnus to step aside. She had tried to use her magic to kick start his heart but that hadn’t worked. Leaving that mystery for after Alec's heart started beating again, she decided to go the mundane way. Unbuttoning Alec's shirt open, she placed shocker pads near on his chest. “Magnus, charge it to 250 volts”, she instructed. The warlock nodded, turning the regulator knob.

“250”, he mumbled.

“Stand back, hands off him.”, she warned. Placing the shockers on the pads, she thrusted a jolt on Alec's heart. Magnus flinched as Alec's torso arched up in response to the shock. He stepped back, joining Luke by the foot of the bed. “Come on Alec”, Cat encouraged, shocking his heart once again. It momentarily regained its activity and then flatlined again. Catarina shocked his heart a third time before she turned to Magnus and Luke. “Magnus, raise the voltage to 300, now”, she mumbled.

Magnus hurriedly raised the voltage and stepped away from Alec. Catarina placed the shockers back on the pads and closed her eyes as she jolted Alec’s heart again. There was no response. She swallowed, panic setting in. Giving a second shock, she urged Alec to wake up. Alec finally responded to the third shock, his heartbeat regaining the normal rhythm. Cat shut the shockers and heaved a sigh of relief. Magnus rushed back to Alec's side and scanned him. He was breathing fine. Clearing the strands away from his forehead, Magnus pushed Alec's hair back with his palm and placed a chaste kiss on it, lingering for a few extra moments. “What happened, Cat?”, he looked up at the his friend, settling in a little space next to Alec on his bed.

“I have no clue”, she gasped, turning the monitor of his stats towards her.

“He was supposed to heal after the Heavenly Fire serum was removed”, he shot a questioning glare at the warlock.

“We expected the same, Magnus. I have no idea what went wrong”, she shook her head scrolling down the monitor to read the latest reports. “I am going to take a blood and spinal fluid sample to get some tests done… see what’s going on with Alec”

“He needs to wake up now”, Luke spoke up for the first time since everything.

“I didn’t want to say something to Maryse and Isabelle but he should have woken hours ago. Although, his vitals look fine so there isn’t a lot that needs to be worried about.”, Catarina admitted. Magnus swallowed, snapping his head to his side in shock and disbelief. He clasped Alec's good hand in his tighter and pressed it to his chest. He swiveled his other hand, streaming a blue sparkle over Alec's head. He waved it over his face and then thrusted the same sparkle on the monitor.

“We should be able to see the scan of his head in a few minutes”, he whispered.

“Thank you”, Cat sighed pulling a table of instruments towards her. She grabbed a syringe and vacutainer, extracting two vials of Alec's blood. “Lay him on his side, Magnus...”, she instructed. Magnus pulled Alec up from one side, baring his back to Cat. She gently poked a needle straight into his spinal cord and extracted a white fluid. “I’ll go run the tests”, she tapped the samples, pushing them in an icebox. Magnus nodded before replacing Alec on the bed.

“Magnus, you should go and get some rest. I’ll stay here with Alec”, Luke offered.

“I’m perfectly fine, Luke”, he shrugged. “But I should go and inform Maryse that Alec is doing ok, for now”, he said, robotically speaking. He walked out of the room and saw Izzy and Maryse standing by. Jace was sat on the couch, holding his Parabatai rune. Magnus heard Luke's footsteps follow him out of the room and both the Lightwood women rushed to them as soon as they saw them. Magnus was taken aback when Izzy threw herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. He smiled and engulfed the girl in a thick embrace, gently rubbing his palm down her hair.

“Is he ok?”, Maryse asked, looking at Luke for answers.

“He is stable”, Luke answered. Maryse sighed in relief and allowed herself to fall in Luke's arms.

“He is going to be fine, Isabelle. Alexander is a brave man. He will come back to us.”, Magnus comforted the girl, and himself. To be blatantly honest, he wasn’t sure if he believed it himself. Not after the way he had seen Alec struggle to live a few minutes.

“Can’t you heal him?”, she looked up with tearful eyes.

“My magic is not working on him. Don’t worry. Catarina is running some tests and we will know what is wrong with Alec”, he explained, wiping tears from her face.

She nodded, sniffing her tears up her nostrils. “I know we have a lot to talk about…”, she awkwardly whispered. Magnus gave her a knowing smile and tipped his chin in response. “But we can do that after we save Alec. For now…”, she swallowed the lump in her throat. “I just cannot wait to tell you how sorry I am for the way I reacted in Edom”

“You had every right”, Magnus shook his head.

“No, I didn’t–”, she refused. “I should have trusted that my brother wouldn’t believe in someone who wasn’t worth being believed in. And you, Magnus, have always been by his side. Saved him more than once and I just… I am sorry. I heard about how you lied to us about Lilith and I flipped. I am sorry”, she wiped her cheeks and took a deep breath.

“What changed your mind?”, Magnus scoffed, holding Alec's sister.

“Nothing had to. I was just sitting with Simon and when I thought about everything…and how the past two years have panned through, it just hit how none of this one anyone’s fault but Asmodeus’. Everything was his fault…and we all got stuck in that mess”, she pondered.

“Yeah”, Magnus sighed.

“I hope you can forgive me”, she gave him a smile.

“I was never angry with you. But, I would like to ask you something”, he tucked her hair behind her ear and Izzy smiled, recalling Alec doing a very similar thing to her when they spoke.

“Anything?”

“I want to ask you for your forgiveness. If Alec is dealing with all this, it is because of my father. And somewhere down the line, we are responsible for our parents' actions. So, I am sorry”

“I won’t know what to do if something happened to Alec…but”, she admitted in a low voice. “I am glad you’re back with us”

“Thank you for saying that, Isabelle”, Magnus hugged her again before they parted.

…

Catarina left the minute she procured the samples from Alec. Luke and Underhill returned to the Institute to carry on the daily business as usual. Only Simon and Lorenzo stayed back to help Magnus in trying to heal Alec. Something, and not the Heavenly Fire, in Alec's body, or rather his very core, was resenting any sort of healing spell. His cells and wounds would start healing and then they would deteriorate again. A strange force in his body was stopping him from living and his cells from undergoing repair. The iratze runes faded as soon as Jace drew them and with no way to heal the original rune, Alec had no chance at a supernatural healing.

“When did Luke propose?”, Magnus asked Maryse as they sat by Alec's bed, watching him. Izzy and Simon had momentarily gone to the Institute to get some more medicines that she had developed.

“You noticed!”, Maryse smiled, rotating the ring in her left hand. Magnus ducked his head and nodded softly. His hand was wrapped around Alec's cold one. “It was during Easter this year… he whisked all of us away to Cabo for a vacation and popped the question right before a bonfire”

“Cabo… wow!”, Magnus arched his brows.

“Yeah, and apparently everyone except me knew about it. Luke actually asked the kids over dinner without my knowledge”

“That is very Luke”, Magnus joked. Maryse laughed softly. “I am sure they were all as excited for it”

“They were. I never thought they would be so welcoming about Lucian and I”, she exclaimed, happiness gleaming in her eyes. “I still remember the first time I told them about us… most of them already knew… it was a bit awkward”, she rolled her eyes and Magnus scoffed. He recalled that night in Maryse's shop where she’d told him about Luke. It seemed like forever ago. “Alec was the happiest. He didn’t show it, but I know he was…”, she caressed the Shadowhunter’s knuckles.

“I am sure”, Magnus agreed.

“Magnus... I am going to go and check on Matt and Max. They’ve been worried sick about Alec and I also need to fill Robert in about everything, you know.”, she sighed, grabbing her things back into her clutch.

"Matt is with you?”, Magnus asked.

“No…but he… he lives in a community home very close to my apartment. And he’s crashing in my living room today for free pizza... so I need to get back to him before that as well.”

“He is delightful”, Magnus commented.

“The very best. I will come by later tonight with food for all of you. Maybe some leftover pizza...”, she stood up, dusting her skirt. Magnus stood up after her and followed her to the door. The apartment was nearly empty right now. Only Simon and Isabelle were sitting in the living room. He couldn’t see Jace or Clary or anyone else.

Walking back to his room to be with Alec, he didn’t expect his favorite hazel eyes waiting for him, gazing around the room trying to make sense of the surrounding. Magnus gasped when he saw Alec awake and shifting on the bed in confusion and struggle to move his muscles that ached because of his wounds. Alec’s full name rolled out of his mouth as a want for breath and relief and he skipped his way to the bed, standing right above Alec in no time.

“Hi”, Alec cleared his throat, delighted after finding Magnus near him and in his line of vision. Magnus furrowed his brows as he saw the sunken dark sockets of Alec’s eyes and his cheekbones protruding out more than they should have. His skin was pale as an odd shade of grey and there was a sheen of sweat on his face. He hated to see his angelic Shadowhunter so weak and helpless for every breath that he took. The more Magnus looked at him, the more furious he felt at his father and everyone else.

Alec lifted his lips by twitching his facial muscles and gave him a soft smile. “Hey, darling. How are you?”, Magnus managed to say, words unable to form in his mouth. He sat down on the bed next to his Shadowhunter and curled his hand around Alec’s. The man simply nodded.

“We back from Edom?”, he wheezed out, coughing slightly.

“Yes, we are. Safe and sound”, Magnus smiled, removing strands of hair from Alec's forehead. He noticed the way Alec’s head followed the direction of Magnus’ fingers tracing his forehead down to his temple. “Let me get Isabelle in here so that she can check you”, Magnus gently kissed his hand and turned around to leave.

“Just a minute…”, Alec whispered. Magnus hummed, sitting back on the bed. He could feel Alec's thin fingers tightening around his hand. “What happened?”, he asked, confused by his present state.

“We killed my father, Alexander… and then you got stabbed doubly by an Eidolon demon and shards of the Heavenly Fire sword before passing out and scaring the hell out of me...”, Magnus leaned closer, whispering near Alec. “…and then your family, our friends rescued us”

Alec’s eyes widened. Magnus noticed how pale the color of his hazels had become and he wanted so much to be able to take Alec’s pain away. They were not glowing the way he was used to seeing and they were dry and emotionless. “They did?”, he felt his muscles ache as they curved up to a smile.

“Yup”, Magnus nodded. “Now, you just need to get better and then we can figure out everything else...”, he joked.

“Yeah, well”, Alec shifted on the bed and groaned. “I don’t see that happen anytime soon”, he mumbled.

“Don’t say that. You’ll be fine”, Magnus clenched his jaw. “How long have you been awake?”

“Are you asking me if I heard my mother gush about her engagement to Luke. Yeah... I did. I have been awake for quite some time... but I didn’t want to disturb you and Mom talking...”, Alec huffed.

“She would have been so relieved to see you awake, Alexander!”, Magnus widened his eyes.

“I like it when you call me that!”, Alec locked his eyes in Magnus' and took a deep breath.

“Don’t divert the conversation”, Magnus tilted his head.

“I am not. Truth be told, I wanted some time alone to talk to you... who knows if we will get...”, Alec argued, breaking into a fit of coughs mid-sentence. Magnus pulled the bed upright to help him breath and gave him a glass of water. Magnus sat back on the bed next to him with his gaze on his lap. His hands were tangled in each other. “Two years... Magnus... two years”

“Two years for you. Ten days for me... and we had no idea... I had no idea that my father was playing such a dirty game with us...”, Magnus answered, separating their hands to caress Alec’s face with his palm.

“Your father really had a masterplan!”

“He did”

“No wonder they called him a Greater Demon.”, Alec joked. Magnus looked up at the Nephilim and shook his head scoffing.

“You would never have told about the deal, would you?”

“Not if it meant threatening your life”, Alec replied without hesitation.

“And I couldn’t put two and two together. I couldn’t connect my father’s return and my magic coming back to me with the fact that you broke up a few days after promising to never leave me”

“You were in a vulnerable place. And as much as I hated hurting you, I knew that there was no other way you would hate me and accept breaking up with me unless I used my own promise against us...”

“The one time you decided to lie convincingly”

“Other than what I said about your spark being gone, I don’t think I lied. I couldn’t stand and watch you suffer and do nothing. I couldn’t be the reason you lost your identity. I couldn’t be the reason that you were unhappy.”, he inched closer and entangled his fingers in Magnus’.

“That is on me then. I am sorry I failed to put it across how much you meant to me. How you were the light in my dark time. That I wouldn’t been half as happy as I was without you by my side”

“It’s not your fault, Magnus. You were going through something unimaginable in your life...”

“It is my fault. Because if I had expressed what you truly did for me when I was without my magic... how you begged Lorenzo to save my life... how you let your dignity aside and bowed to him for my sake... and how you were the only person who was stopping me from slipping away, Asmodeus wouldn’t have been able to get to us... get to you... and we wouldn’t have been away from each other...”

“It was a long time ago, Magnus. You don’t have to hold yourself guilty for it, now”, he pulled his wrist and gestured him to come closer. “I am glad you’re back and okay. And Asmodeus is where he belongs!”, Magnus laid down on the bed, against Alec and dropped his head on his shoulder, throwing his arm around his waist.

“You’re totally not going to address the time when I planned to whole-heartedly kill you?”, Magnus mumbled.

“Because you said it yourself. You never wanted to kill me. You were trying to uncover your father’s plans and those demons attacking me was just collateral damage that you couldn’t assess. And you were not yourself.”

“I was. I was channeling parts of myself that I knew I had buried deep down”

“Magnus... we won’t gain anything from dwelling into the past. You lost your way and you did things that you cannot justify... but you understand where you went wrong and why it happened. So, just, the most that we can do is move on... and that’s it”, Alec shifted closer to the warlock and dropped his cheek on his head.

“I don’t deserve you”

Alec wheezed, taking a short breath before he could speak again. “I love you. And yes, you do deserve me”, Magnus looked up from his shoulder and cupped Alec’s jaw, pushing their lips together. It felt good to kiss Alec again. And this time, the man willingly kissed him back. It was not like the last they had shared as boyfriends because he had felt Alec hesitating to reciprocate. And then in Edom, Alec was still afraid for Magnus losing the deal he had put in place. But now, he was kissing him willingly and with the same love that Magnus remembered.

Alec parted his lips from Magnus’ and gasped for breath. He opened his mouth and pressed his palm to his chest, wheezing. Magnus opened his eyes and sat up abruptly as Alec collapsed on the bed. His back arched up as he struggled to breathe. Magnus unbuttoned Alec’s shirt and rubbed his chest. “Alec, breathe”, he whispered. “Catarina, Isabelle!”, he yelled. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he dialed his best friend. “Catarina... Alec’s not breathing”

A portal opened into the room and Catarina threw the folders on the table. She rushed to Alec’s bed and looked at the monitors. Alec’s oxygen percentage in his blood was dropping. “His left lung has collapsed”, Catarina took out a surgical needle and poked it right into the lung. Alec parted his eyes and opened his mouth wide to take a deep breath as his lung regained function. Magnus wiped his sweaty forehead and rubbed his palm down his face. But his relief was short-lived. Only a minute or two later, Alec arched his back again and grabbed his neck, attempting to take short breaths. He made choking noises and his eyes rolled in his sockets.

Catarina furrowed her brows and opened up his chest to investigate. “Catarina, what’s going on?”, Magnus leaned over Alec’s body, holding his forehead with one hand and Alec’s hand in the other. The warlock snapped her finger and scanned his pneumothorax. Her eyes widened at what she saw. “His lungs...”

“What happened to his lungs?”

“There are open orifices...”, she gasped. “His alveolar pores have widened, and air is not being filtered out into the capillaries. I need to intubate him so that he can get some air forcefully in his blood and put him on a ventilator now. His lungs are failing to function...”, she slid open a drawer and pulled out intubation equipment. Magnus gagged when he saw how roughly she opened up Alec’s jaws and inserted the laryngoscope blade into the vallecula. She inserted an endotracheal tube inside his windpipe and taped it as Alec’s oxygen levels came back up after a few rounds of ventilation.

Alec’s eyes rolled back inside his head and lost consciousness. Catarina checked his pupils and then his reflexes. He was not anesthetized yet. But, he wasn’t awake or responsive to any pain stimuli. Catarina continued to inspect him for any response. By this time, everyone had gathered outside the room, waiting for any information.

“What the hell is happening to him, Catarina?”, Magnus knelt on the ground next to Alec’s bed and dropped his chin on Alec’s arm, holding his hand in his.

“I may have an answer for it, Magnus... and I hope that I am wrong...”, she sighed, taking a torch from the nightstand. “Alec has slipped into a coma”, she informed. Magnus shut his eyes in frustration. Three days of rigorous treatment and they were still nowhere close to understanding why Alec hadn’t been responding to medication. “Come on... let’s talk outside”

...

Catarina walked into the room filled with the remainder Lightwoods, Luke, Clary and Simon. Andrew and Lorenzo, who had stepped out for some fresh air, returned to the living room and joined the others. She took out papers from her folder and handed it over to Isabelle, Magnus and Maryse. “I took some of Alec’s blood and spinal fluid sample this morning... just because I wanted to see how his body was working and if there was any evident anomaly. Anything that could explain why none of our treatment strategies are working....”. She flicked her hand and pulled up images projected on the wall. “His hemoglobin is way below crucial levels. Iron stocks are all depleted. The white blood cell count is through the roof which means his body is either battling infection or some sort of inflammation”

“Autoimmune?”, Isabelle asked.

“Most likely. And that is strange because he doesn’t have history of any such condition. And there’s something else. This autoimmune condition is systemic. It’s attacking every possible cell in the body. Almost like an autophagic bacteria eating itself. I checked a smear of his blood and his RBCs are dying at the fastest rate. They are shriveling and bursting in the vessels... which is why there’s loss of Hemoglobin and fever... Soon enough, the liver won’t be able to deal with the amount of bilirubin and we will start seeing jaundice like symptoms...”, Catarina explained. Magnus clenched his hands into a fist as he read through Alec’s blood work which were haywire.

“RBCs don’t die... until”, Isabelle frowned.

“Until they’re old enough... because they don’t have a nucleus and an apoptotic signal... which means... the immune cells are killing their own...”, Catarina nodded in agreement. “Yeah... so, well like I said... that there’s a systemic cellular signal of mass destruction. If this continues... Alec’s organ systems are going to fail one by one... and we won’t be able to stop it...”, she added. “Remember the seizure Alec had yesterday? It was because several motor neurons in his spine died... suddenly. Which led to overexcitement neuronal signals all over his body. The cells went berserk because they couldn’t process loss of function. The brain scans that Magnus pulled... it’s showing progressive neurodegeneration”, Catarina pulled up images of Alec’s brain scan.

“Catarina, autoimmune diseases are seldom systemic. They always have a specific target. If Alec’s immune system is attacking his entire body, there has to be something on his cells that the system is responding to. A demonic signature. A demon ichor protein expression... something that is making his immune system attack every possible tissue and organ”, Isabelle widened her eyes and grasped, reaching out to Simon for support. Simon had no clue what these medical jargons meant but he sure could guess that it was nothing good.

“I agree... which is why I went ahead and analyzed his angelic core for anything alien. There’s a demonic signature on it. It’s small... and latent... or so I thought. But I am pretty sure that the entity is triggering Alec’s immune system to kill itself. I was able to characterize only because it’s magic. A skillfully casted spell that Alec was cursed with in Edom... most probably”

“Do you think the Heavenly Fire had something to do with it? Could it have been the signature that is now engraved in Alec’s body?”, Isabelle hugged herself. Magnus held his breath and looked at Catarina for an answer. If Izzy’s assumptions were true, he would never forgive himself. Alec had to wield the sword in order to save him and that would always haunt Magnus.

“No... the serum didn’t do this to Alec. I found no traces of the serum’s signature on his DNA or his cells. This is purely demonic and is consistent with traces I found on Eidolon demons which means... it’s Edomai in origin. If anything, I am pretty sure Heavenly Fire was protecting Alec’s body from this curse because we saw the real advent of degeneration symptoms kick in right after we chelated the serum out...”

“So... we can treat Alec with the serum and stop this curse from spreading?”, Isabelle sounded hopeful.

“We cannot heal what he’s already lost... we can only stop further degeneration. But, Alec’s body has already deteriorated past revival, Isabelle. The recent brain and spinal cord scan from five minutes ago show that there’s little to no motor neuron activity left in Alec’s spinal cord that control the lower limb movement...”, she snapped new images and Izzy collapsed on the couch when she saw the deterioration.

“He’s lower body is paralyzed!”, her lips trembled.

“And his cells are continuing to die as we speak. His lung just failed a few minutes ago... and by the looks of it, they are not going to regain activity ever again. There are quite literally holes in the organ.”, Catarina added.

“ _Facilis descencus averno_ ”, Magnus mumbled, crumpling the paper in his hand.

“What?”, Izzy and Jace snapped their heads in his direction.

“ _Facilis descencus averno_. Alec symptoms are classic to the curse my father so skillfully crafted.”, Magnus repeated. “You Nephilim think that it’s a Shadowhunter saying... right?”, he felt a tear spill out of his eye. “It’s also a curse. The most powerful and darkest curse ever created...”, he licked his dry lips. “A curse that my father designed in his free time Edom”, he wiped his nose and turned around with his back to the others.

“That’s the thing destroying Alec?”

“The curse is meant to relieve a Nephilim from their angelic energies. The curse binds to the half-angel part of Shadowhunters and eats them from the inside... until they are only left with half of their mundane soul and that emptiness kills them”, Magnus explained the details.

“That’s what Asmodeus meant when he said that he wouldn’t let Alec have a complete life?”, Catarina widened her eyes. “Coupled with the injuries the demons inflicted... no wonder Alec’s deteriorating so fast”, she sighed, unable to meet Magnus’ gaze. As a nurse, she felt guilty for not having guessed this sooner... and as a warlock and Magnus’ friend, she felt even guiltier.

“I knew there was more to that statement. I should have known... I should have fucking known that my father would never allow anything good and bright to prosper around him...”, Magnus thrusted his wrist and blasted off two window panes. He swiveled the brain scans away from the apartment and snapped it tidy and clean.

“If it’s a spell, it can be reversed, right?”, Maryse spoke up after minutes of silence and listening to everyone around her. “It’s magic. We can undo it? Tell me, Magnus. Tell me there’s a way...?”

“We can’t... undo this curse”, Magnus shook his head.

“How are you so sure without even trying?”, Izzy sniffed.

“Because I have seen Nephilim in Edom die because of this curse. I have seen my father modify this spell to be indestructible. He has made this curse to not be able to be undone...”

“Magnus there has to be a way?”, Maryse yelled.

“Even if there was... the damage done to Alec’s body is irreversible”, Catarina chipped in as Magnus fell silent as reality hit him finally. He walked numbly over to the door of the room and leaned on the frame. Alec’s chest was rising up and down for now. He was still alive.

“How long?”, he found his mouth talking without his permission. He avoided looking away from Alec as if his man would disappear if he ever tore his gaze away from him. The answer to the question he had just asked was going to be the end of his life and his happiness and he wasn’t ready for it.

“How long for what?”, Catarina asked.

“How long before... before Alec’s organs fail him completely?”, he blurted out of his mouth with a choking sob.

“The rate at which they’re dying...”, she paused. Magnus couldn’t see the expression on everyone else’s face, but he knew that in the last few minutes, their world had come crashing down on them. Magnus closed his eyes and slumped his body against the door. His father had won yet again. He had torn Alec apart from him. Again. But this time, it was more permanent.

Because Alec would never come back to him.  
He would just be gone.

“24 hours”, he heard Cat’s voice echo in his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so that happened. 
> 
> If you're going to react to the chapter, you can use the hashtag #MFADfic. Otherwise, tag me on Twitter and yell at me. I will be there for you guys.
> 
> Chapter 18 would be up on Mon/Tue depending on when I get the time to edit it up. Until then, keep crying and speculating. I'll see you around!


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello <3
> 
> without further ado, this chapter is the most difficult piece of writing i have ever written or attempted. i hope you are still there with me once this chapter is over... because this is the worst it gets. trust me on that. also some scenes could be a little emotionally triggering, so please take care of yourself!
> 
> #MFADfic

Magnus threw the last vial of potion at his shelf in the apothecary. Trial number 347th had failed. There had been no response by Alec's dying cells. His blood sample was still continuing to deteriorate, and the white blood cells were above critical level. Magnus was flaring with anger and helplessness. He felt tears burn his eyes but refuse to fall. Every moment he spent failing to find a cure for Asmodeus' curse, he pushed Alec to the inevitable. He couldn’t believe that even in death, his father was winning against him. His curse had been destroying Alec's angelic core. That’s what Asmodeus had meant when he said he wouldn’t let Alec have a complete life. He had cursed the angelic part of him. He was destroying the part of Alec that he had worked his entire life to build. And even though he knew that there was nothing he could do to undo the damage that had been done to Alec.

Jace and Isabelle returned to the apartment an hour later with no answers from the Seelie realm. Meliorn had immobilized all his forces and he had found nothing about this curse that the Greater Demon had casted on Alec, binding it with his DNA. “I have stopped feeling him”, Jace had informed a few hours ago. The Parabatai rune was one of the firsts to stop working. That’s when they knew Catarina wasn’t joking when she came back with the test results. It was only a matter of time before all of Alec's runes lost their powers and he became a shriveling mundane.

Lorenzo had tried all his contacts at Spiral Labyrinth. Nobody even responded to him. Magnus’ apartment was buzzing with tension and heartbreak. Simon has suggested that they could turn Alec into a Vampire. Catarina had tried to test Simon's venom and it's reaction with Alec's angelic blood. The cells had died with an accelerated rate. “I have put him on dialysis. His kidneys aren’t working efficiently”, Catarina walked out of Alec's room with another bad news. Isabelle turned herself in Simon's arm while the others just held the nearest pillar for support. Maryse was still holding Alec's baby blanket in her hands as she dropped on the couch. It hit her that she was really going to lose her eldest son in a few hours.

“He doesn’t deserve to die”, she mumbled against Luke's shirt as he hugged her. “Alec spent his entire life fighting for others… fighting for us. And we cannot save him”

“Maryse, everyone is trying what they can”, it was a little heartless for Luke to say what he did but it was the truth. “Alec is still here with us… okay?”, he whispered. The last few hours had been tumultuous for everyone. Alec's lungs had collapsed twice before he was put on ventilator and he had three seizures. Catarina's reports had said that even if he woke up after all that, his brain had suffered permanent damage that Alec could never recover from. He would be a vegetable all his life.

“Lucian… I cannot see him suffer. I cannot see his body give up”, she covered her hands with his mouth and choked on her cries. “…if… if he were to…”, she sniffed. “…if letting him go means that he gets to suffer less…then… then…”

Luke tilted his head and closed his eyes, taking Maryse back in his arms.

…

Magnus sat on the stool next to Alec's bed. In the last 6 hours, Alec’s condition had significantly worsened. His mouth was strapped with a tube lodged in his throat that was helping him breath. The tube was ventilated with enough oxygen to keep his organs functioning. One of his radial arteries in his wrist was connected to a dialyzer that was filtering his blood. There were shock pads attached to his heart, working as an artificial pacemaker. Magnus could see the worsening brain scan images in front of him. He had lost functions in his lower limbs an hour ago and the warlock was glad that he wasn’t awake for any of this.

Magnus wiped his tears away and encased Alec's fragile hand in his. He closed his eyes and chanted, blue magic flowing out of his fingertips.

 

_The Palace hotel – Magnus and Alec's favorite night-away. Magnus opened his eyes and found himself looking at the bright lights ahead of him. His lips curved into a smile as a familiar touch wrapped around his hand. “How the hell?”, he heard Alec swear under his breath. “How am I here?”, Alec gasped, looking at the starry night in front of him. Magnus turned his head to the man. Alec was wearing a navy blue button up and tight black pants. “How am I all healed up?”, he looked confused. Magnus’ smile vanished, and he clasped Alec’s hand tightly._

_“You’re not”, he responded weakly._

_“Are you… Magnus, am I dreaming this?”, he asked, inching closer to the warlock._

_“We both are”, Magnus smiled, sadly. He gently lifted his hand to Alec's jawline. The image that he had conjured up of Alec was that of a healthy and happy Nephilim from their time together. Just like Magnus always wanted to remember him. He cradled his head in his hand and gently stroked the jawline with his thumb. His vision blurred with tears and he sniffed._

_“There’s something wrong with me, isn’t it? Something that no one can fix…”, Alec curled his hands around Magnus’ wrists, judging the expression on his face. “I am dying…?”, Magnus' lips trembled as he heard that. He leaned in and closed their lips together, unable to think of the inevitable future. Kissing Alec in their dream was nowhere near kissing him in real life. But it was this or nothing. He sniffed between their kisses, his throat lumping up beyond his control. “Magnus”, Alec pulled away. “How long?” he asked._

_“A few hours… give or take. Asmodeus cursed your angelic soul... and it’s snuffing that out of your body...”, Magnus' voice was shaking unlike Alec had ever seen before. “Cat says that… you’re in pain… and we should…”_

_“I frankly, don’t feel anything… like there’s this numbness spreading... and I don’t know...maybe that’s how my Nephilim energies are going to leave me...”, the Shadowhunter explained with his hands. A gesture that Magnus had missed so much in the last three days. He covered his mouth with his hand. Alec was just being himself but, he was breaking his heart. The fact that after a few hours, he would never see him talk animatedly with his hands, or stutter when he was nervous. Magnus couldn’t believe that this was the last time._

_“Alexander”, Magnus huffed out a painful breath, lifted himself on his toes and wrapping his arms tightly around Alec's neck. “I am sorry I can’t do anything…”, he cried. Alec pulled him closer._

_“I am sure you tried everything”, he whispered. Magnus pulled away and cupped Alec's face again, memorizing each and every smile and expression that he was going to miss for the rest of his immortal life. They weren’t supposed to part so soon. Their story wasn’t supposed to end just yet. There was a smile on Alec's face. A relieved smile. “Why are you smiling?”, Magnus sniffed, wiping his tender skin again._

_“I can’t believe that you are here… with me”, Alec lifted his hand to Magnus’ cheek and stroked his cheekbone. “Asmodeus lost…”, he whispered. Magnus heard the Demon's name and his lips trembled again. Alec leaned closer, wiping off Magnus’ tears again. “Please don’t cry…”_

_“Alexander”, Magnus kissed Alec's palm._

_“If this is it… if this is how I go… then so be it?”, he stepped closer and kissed Magnus’ forehead. “I am not afraid”_

_“I know”, Magnus closed his eyes. “I haven’t met anyone half as brave as you, my love. But I am not ready…”_

_“Sooner or later… you were always meant to outlive me…”_

_“Don’t say that please…”_

_“You can’t deny this, Magnus. Not anymore”, Alec hugged him. “But, please. I cannot see you cry like this… not over me”_

_“Then you have no idea how much I love you. And how much you mean to me... my heart...”, Magnus retorted, sniffing in Alec's shoulder. “The last time you left me, I ended up in Edom. What do you think is going to happen now?”_

_“Edom is gone, so that’s not an option”, Alec tried to joke but received a slap on his arm. “I want you to come back home, Magnus. I want you to live your life with the people who matter the most. Catarina…and Madzie. Raphael. They all love you so much”_

_“Without you… I cannot”_

_“You can. You will move on Magnus. You will love again”_

_“I can’t talk about that right now. My love and my heart will always belong to you...”_

_“I know, Magnus... I know. And my heart has never known anyone but you...” he caressed his back, rubbing his palm up and down. “Okay now… you need to go…”, he pulled away from the warlock._

_“No!”_

_“You cannot exhaust your magic anymore!”_

_“I am not done yet”, Magnus panicked._

_“Magnus, come on. You need to go now...”, he cupped his face. Magnus grabbed Alec's wrists, holding him close. “Tell everyone that I love them”_

_“Alexander”_

_“And… I love you”, he added._

_“I love you too”, he smiled._

_“Now, go. And take care of yourself and everyone else...”, he smiled with tears in his eyes. That smile was the last thing Magnus saw before he woke up._

…

Magnus found Lorenzo in his apothecary, working on a few spells and magical potions – anything that could have prevented the deterioration of Alec’s condition. Underhill was going through some of the journals to get some answers. “Magnus”, Lorenzo gasped out his name. Andrew stood up, snapping the book shut. “Is...”, the former High Warlock swallowed. Andrew widened his eyes.

“No… no, Alexander is ok”, Magnus corrected them. “…for now”, he added. He was a mess with tousled hair, smudged makeup and overgrown beard. “I… came to ask for a favour”, he mumbled. Lorenzo sighed. Magnus looked numb.

“Of course”, Lorenzo stepped forward.

“I just spoke to Alec a few minutes ago...”, Magnus sniffed, rubbing his hands together. He could feel his palms warming up.

“Sir is awake?”, Andrew looked between his boyfriend and Magnus.

“No… he is still in a coma”, Magnus shook his head. “I just… communicated with him…”

“Using the dream spell?”, Lorenzo nodded. Magnus took a shallow breath and nodded. “…before we… pull… before… before”, Magnus stuttered to get the words out of his mouth. “…before _tonight…_ I was thinking… if we could… somehow…”, he blinked his tears away. “…somehow make Alec's family… speak with him”

“Ok… do you have a way in mind?”, Lorenzo asked.

“Azazel used a body switch spell between me and Valentine”

“Right... so you wanna switch Alec’s soul with someone else’s?”

“No... because Alec’s soul is the one that my father cursed. But... if we could modify that spell... so that we could channel that curse onto someone else. Enough for Alec to wake up from the coma”

“But that would... potentially require someone else to go into a coma”

Magnus nodded. “Yeah... that’s the only thing I cannot go around”, he sighed. “I just... I just wanted to give Alec a chance... to say... to say goodbye”, he snuffed his nose. His head was pounding with all the crying.

“I understand, Magnus... and”, he stepped forward, holding both of Magnus’ shoulders. He could feel the warlock slumping figure. “...it’s not a bad idea”, he added. Magnus looked up from the ground with bloodred eyes and nodded. “In fact... I know exactly the man who would be the right fit”, the warlock gave him a sly smile.

...

Underhill adjusted the pillows on Lorenzo’s bed as Magnus prepared for the spell. “You’re sure this is going to be fine?”, the Shadowhunter asked. Lorenzo gave him a smile as he toed his shoes off. Lifting himself on the bed, he pulled his hair open and laid down on the bed, crossing his legs.

“Magnus, I am ready when you are”, he called.

Andrew lifted their joined palms together and pressed a kiss on his knuckles. “Give my best to Alec”, the warlock winked.

“I will. You take care”, Andrew smiled.

Catarina and Magnus joined their powers together and cast the spell. Everyone else was waiting outside the room. Lorenzo closed his eyes as the spell took effect, putting him in an induced coma. Alec had been taken out of all the intubations and injections. The curse had been temporarily transferred to Lorenzo and since the warlock had no angelic component, he didn’t suffer any effect of the curse other than the mundane coma.

Alec opened his eyes and groaned. His body was still weak with the curse. The spell couldn’t have healed everything in such a less time. Magnus offered the Shadowhunter a glass of water and pulled his bed up.

“Hi”, he whispered as Alec emptied the glass. His fingers were shivering by the time Magnus took the glass away from him.

“Hey”, Alec responded. He looked around the room and saw Catarina standing by his bed, monitoring his stats. Andrew Underhill waved from the other side of the bed. That’s when he saw Lorenzo Rey lying dead. “What happened to him?”, he asked, suddenly concerned for the former High Warlock.

“We temporarily transferred the curse to Lorenzo”

“Won’t it affect him?”

“No... he’s a demon blood. It won’t. And it’s _temporary_ anyway...”, Magnus gave him a tight-lipped smile. Alec understood what that meant, and he didn’t reply. Instead, he lifted his thin hand and cupped Magnus’ jaw.

“Thank you”

“I love you”

“I love you more, Magnus”

...

Maryse and Luke were the first ones to find Alec and Magnus. The warlock excused himself to the couch by Lorenzo’s bed to let them talk. “You’re still holding _that_ blanket”, Alec threw his head back on the pillow, rolling his eyes. Maryse chuckled between her tears and took a whiff of the blanket.

“I can still smell you in here”, she smiled.

“Oh, come on, Maa”, Alec groaned.

“Shut up. I am your mother, Alec Lightwood. I am allowed to have sentimental maternal instincts with the cloth that my first-born _first_ came to me...”, she wiped her tears. “It’s not like you gave me a lot of chance to collect memories. You grew up so soon... and I don’t even have a lot of your stuff...” She was avoiding looking directly in the man’s eyes because of how thin and fragile he looked. She feared that she would break down if her gaze met her son’s.

“I am sorry I had three younger siblings.”, Alec coughed. Maryse squinted her eyes and glared at the man before bursting into a smile.

“Anyway... Lucian and I... we were thinking that a winter wedding would be nice... right? We could all whisk away to a tropical island... and have a weekend off... you know? Just family and a few friends”, she smiled.

“Yeah... that would be actually nice”, the man nodded. “I love beaches. And... it’s been a while since I basked in the sun drinking pina coladas”, he tipped his chin. “But, don’t you hate humid weather?”

“I mean... it’s kinda romantic, don’t you think?”, she winked.

“Yeah, romantic for you... and gross for me”, Alec joked. “I will agree on one condition... and I don’t have to find you behind unlocked doors. Mom, that’s a visual I never ever want again”, he widened his eyes and gasped. Maryse threw her head back on the neck and laughed whole-heartedly.

“Well, I can’t promise you that... but you can totally extract revenge...”

“How so?”, Alec arched a brow.

“Take Magnus with you... and then we’d be one traumatized”, she pointed between Luke and herself.

“Sounds like a plan?”, he smiled. Turning his head to his left, he moved his eyes around for Magnus. “Hey, Magnus... you’ve got a second?”, he called out. Magnus looked up from Lorenzo’s body and smiled. In another moment, he was by Alec’s side, sitting on the bed and holding Alec up in his arms.

“Yes?”

“Mom wants me to invite you... to her wedding”, he wiggled his brows. “As my date”, he added.

“Ooooh”, Magnus squinted his eyes. “That’s quite an offer, Alexander”

“Are you at least considering it?”, Alec teased.

“I am more than just considering it”, Magnus teased back. He pressed a loud kiss on his temple and looked up at the happy couple. “I’d be honored to be Alec’s date”, he smiled at the two.

“We better up our game then, Lucian. Because the best couple is going to attend our wedding now”, she swallowed the lump in her throat. Alec laughed softly and then pulled himself up on the bed with Magnus’ help.

“Jokes apart... Mom”, he changed the tone of his voice. “We may have had differences in the past... but I have always been inspired by how strong you are. And frankly, all of us owe our strength to you...”

“Oh, Alec”

“You’ve not only overcome an identity crisis, but you’ve succeeded in your life and how. And I love you... more than I can express myself. And no matter where I am... I will always be your little boy... your son... your Alec”, he closed his eyes as tears spilt out. Magnus let him go as Maryse hugged him. “I wouldn’t be where I am... I wouldn’t be who I am... without everything that you taught me...”, he whispered against her shoulder. “Thank you”

“I love you, baby”, Maryse sniffed.

“I love you too, Mama”, he called her by his childhood name for her. “Please be happy... and live your life... the way you want... you deserve it, okay? Both of you do...”, he reiterated. “And Luke...”, he pulled away from his mother and looked over her shoulder. “I will watch you. Always watch you. Don’t break my mother’s heart or I swear to the Angel”

“I promise, Alec. Your mother is the most incredible woman I have met, and I will never ever hurt her”

“Good. Because I _will_ find you... and I will haunt you”, he joked. Magnus rolled his eyes and scoffed at the lame joke.

“Got it”, Luke nodded. Maryse kissed Alec on his forehead before they walked out of the room. Magnus curled himself against Alec and wrapped his arm around his waist. “You did good”

...

Isabelle and Simon visited Alec next and she couldn’t stop crying while Alec threatened Simon to always care for his sister. In a ground-breaking decision, he left the commands of the New York Institute in Isabelle's capable hands and promoted Jace to the position of the Chief Training Officer for New York. Saying goodbye to Jace was the hardest. They’d lived a major part of their lives tied to each other and now, Alec was going to leave Jace alone in the world. “ _I am_ the one who is supposed to give you sleepless nights. Not you?”, Jace complained with tired and sad eyes as they locked their arms in each other. A glorious journey of two Parabatais was coming to a bitter end. Too soon.

Clary joined the two brothers a few minutes after and Alec told her how much it meant to him that Jace wasn’t going to be alone. Ever. He thanked her for changing his life and introducing a love that he deserved. Clary was on the verge of breaking down as they fist-bumped. Magnus had left the room to deal with Madzie. She had hugged Alec goodbye but couldn’t stop crying to her mother. It had gotten to a point where Catarina had to ask for Magnus’ help.

It was nearly evening when Alec's final guest entered his room. Matt had discarded his prosthetic leg today and was on crutches as he hopped into the room and took the stool next to Alec. “You look like shit”, he commented. Alec rubbed his palm on his face and grinned weakly.

“Thanks, buddy”, he sighed.

“So, Jace…and Isabelle both lied to me. Magnus too...”, Matt huffed, crossing his hands on his chest. “They said you were a _little_ hurt”

“Understatement?”, Alec arched a brow.

“Sure!”, Matt gasped, taking full offence. He took a deep breath and hopped off the stool and onto the floor, coming closer to the bed. “Who will ever be able to train someone as stubborn as me?”, there was a hint of sadness in the boy’s tone and Alec knew him too well. He wasn’t the one to showcase his emotions to everyone. Matt was a recluse whose walls Alec had slowly broken. And now, he was going to leave him alone in a cruel and unforgiving world.

“Jace is a good fighter”, Alec argued.

“He’s not _you,_ certainly, Alec... _”,_ Matt shook his head. The teasing tone in his voice had vanished. Alec pursed his lips and nodded. “But, I will manage. I promise you... I won’t trouble Jace... or Isabelle. I’ll study hard, pass College... get a job, slay demons... _and_ , I will never disappoint my trainer”

“I know you won’t”, Alec smiled. “Come here”, he opened one arm and Matt hopped on to the bed. “Will you take care of yourself? Do you promise that I will never see smile vanish from your face?”

“I will”, Matt nodded. “And you?”,

“I will take care of myself too”, Alec lied.

“You know… Lydia told me that if things ever got bad, you would never leave me…abandon me. She trusted you... and that made _me_ trust you too!”, Matt turned his head to his side. “…I don’t even have her around to fight that you broke your promise, Alec... it’s not fair.”

“I am sorry. Both to you and Lydia. I know she left me in charge…but”

“You have to go”, Matt scrunched his nose as tears collected in his eyes.

“I do, buddy”, Alec wiped them away. “But I know that you’re going to be the best Shadowhunter ever. Better than me…”, he winked. Matt shifted closer and dropped his shoulder on Alec's chest as the man wrapped his arm around him.

“I’ll miss you”

“I will miss you too, Matt”, Alec kissed his hair.

“If you see Lydia. Tell her I love her. And I guess... I love you too. More than I ever had the pleasure of telling you...”, Matt sniffed, pulling away from her. Alec nodded before kissing him again as he let him go.

 …

“Hey, you!”, Magnus stepped into the room later that evening as he saw the last of the family members exit after saying their goodbyes. Alec was lying on his bed with his eyes closed. He looked exhausted and disturbed. Alec looked at him over his shoulder and smiled, gesturing him to come closer.

“Thank you for today. I didn’t think that I would get a chance to talk to them... and tell them what I needed to... but you made it possible... so thank you, Magnus...”, he took a breath as exhaustion took over. “So, I guess only you and I are… left to say our goodbyes?”, he joked, pulling himself up on the bed. Magnus licked his lips, quietly assisting the man. “Magnus?”

“Yeah”, he snapped out of his thoughts.

“What is it?”

Magnus held his breath as he took Alec’s hands in his and plastered a fake smile on his face. “I wanted to do something… and up until this very moment, I was so sure of doing it…”

“But?”

“I don’t want you to choose anything out of pure pressure”

“Choose what?”

Magnus smiled lopsidedly, pulling out a ring box from his pocket. It was different than the one that housed the Lightwood family ring. Alec gasped when he understood the nature of the box and looked frantically between Magnus’ face and his palm. “In the centuries of my existence, I have never… ever been married to anyone before”, he flicked his tear away with the back of his finger and looked right into Alec’s hazel eyes which had only gotten paler since morning.

Alec could feel his heart thumping out of his chest as his pulse went erratic. “And I always thought that no one was ever worthy of becoming a part of me… the other half of me… in such a permanent way”, he saw the Shadowhunter swallow. “Until you came along. And swept me off my feet, Alexander Gideon Lightwood. You were the storm that I never knew I was chasing my whole eternal life. A storm that I wouldn’t mind being chased _by._ You broke every principle that I built my life on and proved me wrong. Every step of the way”, he sniffed the tears rolling down his nostrils. “…and now that I… I know there’s ring with my name on it, I don’t want to lose that chance, Alexander”, he swallowed the remnant tears and wiped his nose.

“What are you saying?”, Alec gasped, feeling his empty neck to touch his chain as he realised what Magnus was referring to. He shakily grabbed Magnus’ other hand.

“I am saying that the thought of marrying the love of my life… has never felt so meaningful before I met you”, Magnus smiled. “I am saying that this is the first time I am feeling butterflies at the thought of calling you my husband”

“Magnus, I am–”, Alec sniffed.

“I know. And I just. You are the one who is supposed to have final wishes, right?”, he sucked his lower lip in, biting on it. “But would you mind fulfilling one of mine?”

“Magnus, you’re not…”

“I will never be alive after I lose you today. So, I am dying too, okay? And that’s not up for debate.”, he shook his head.

Alec nodded, his lips trembling. “But you will… I am dying, Magnus”

“I know. And I would love to be your husband before that!”, he said as a matter of factly. “So, what do you say? Do you think we can fit in a ceremony in the time we have left? Nothing too fancy?”, Magnus asked.

“You need to ask me if I want to marry you, first. Properly.”, Alec teased. Magnus rolled his eyes and scoffed.

“Alexander Gideon Lightwood, will you marry me?”, he said it with blatant honesty, as if it was as easy as breathing. Alec chuckled at the plain proposal and lifted his hand in response. It was a gold and platinum band with delicate carvings. There was a certain engraving on the inside of the ring that said _Aku cinta kamu_ which mean I love you in Indonesian. Magnus slid the ring inside and then lifted his hand to kiss Alec's finger that now adorned his ring.

“You know how to make a moment dramatic…”, Alec chuckled as the family joined them. Andrew and Jace had dragged a Silent Brother to officiate the wedding. This was indeed happening. They pulled Alec's bed upright and Magnus settled on the bed with him, holding both their hands together. Alec's face showed pain and discomfort.

 _Do you have your own vows prepared?_ They heard the Silent Brother in their thoughts.

“We don’t need to prepare for our vows”, Alec smiled with teary eyes.

“Yeah, we don’t”, Magnus nodded. Alec shut his eyes and took a deep breath.

“The love I have for you”, he coughed out in a whisper.

“…is a love that knows no bounds”, Magnus tilted his head and smiled.

“In times of joy as well as sadness”, Alec closed his eyes as tears burnt them.

“…in sickness and in health”, Magnus felt his lips tremble and he found it hard to keep his smile up for Alec's sake.

“I will love you as my equal”

“…and protect you above all else”, Magnus knew that he won’t be able to keep this vow up. He wouldn’t be able to protect Alec.

“I will share with you my truest feelings”

“…and when you speak, I will listen”, Magnus sniffed his tears back up and maintained the smile on his face. Alec weakly squeezed his hand.

“I will catch you when you fall”, Alec promised. And Magnus knew he had upheld his vow already. He had always been there when Magnus tripped. In person or in spirit.

“…and when you sore, I will help you reach your greatest heights”, Magnus pursed his lips.

“Magnus Bane”

“Alexander Gideon Lightwood”

“ _I am…and will always be your loving husband_ ”, they mumbled together. He shifted nervously, and then looked around.

“What happened?”, Magnus asked.

“I don’t have a ring for you…”, Alec gasped.

“You do”, Maryse stepped forward and held out the Lightwood family ring. “Come on, Alec. It’s been long overdue”, Alec nodded, grabbing the ring from his mother's palm.

“Magnus…I?”, he held the family ring in his hand. “I wanted to… back when… I thought…”

“I _know_ ”

“This ring has always been for you. Would you do me the honor of wearing this for me?”, he asked with hopeful eyes.

“It would be _my_ absolute honor”, Magnus gleamed. He held his hand out and Alec slipped his ring on the ring finger.

The Silent Brother pronounced them married. Alec wiped his nose and laughed as everyone around them clapped. Magnus slid his hands around Alec's back, pulling him closer, and pressed their faces for their first kiss. He held Alec's slumping body steady in his arms, upholding his end of the vow to never let his husband fall.

“I love you, Magnus”, Alec whispered against his lips.

“I love you too, Alexander”

Magnus fluttered his eyelids as his magic holding Alec and Lorenzo in that spell dropped below the dangerous level. He couldn’t have held this up for a long time. Alec felt his visions black out because of the break in Magnus’ spell. Catarina noticed the little hitch and immediately powered his friend, sharing some of her powers with him. Only enough to say his goodbye to his _husband._

“Magnus… it’s… your magic”, Alec whispered.

“I know… I still have enough”, Magnus shook his head.

“I don’t want you to drain yourself so frequently”, Alec pulled away from his husband. The family members were waiting to wait to congratulate them. Maryse and Isabelle were a mess crying when they found Alec and hugged him.

…

Later that night, after hugging their final goodbyes, the family left Alec and Magnus in their room for some lonely time. It was hard for Isabelle and Jace to let go off Alec but they understood that he needed some time with his husband after everything they had been through. Magnus could feel his heart sinking every second the clock ticked. Something in the back of his mind yelled that _the_ time was coming. Sooner rather than later. He clutched Alec closer to him with his arms tightly wound around his waist. The Shadowhunter lay with his head on Magnus' chest and their legs curled together.

“You deserved a better wedding ring than this magically conjured one.”, Magnus mumbled, his lips pressed against the side of Alec's head. “If I had enough time… I would have gone to the jewelers and chosen a ring for you. Something worthy enough for my precious husband...”

“I would suggest you stop right there, Mister Lightwood-Bane”, Alec looked up, tipping his chin. “My husband gave this ring to me. It’s very special”

“Oh?”, Magnus arched his brows. “I am not sure if I am more surprised about that new name or the fact that you just called me your husband!”

“You _are_ my husband. _And_ you are Magnus Lightwood-Bane. Right?”, Alec wiggled his brows.

“I am. And I will always be”, Magnus placed his palm on Alec's cheek and rubbed his thumb on his cheekbone.

“So, please. Do not say anything against the ring that my husband gave me… alright?”, he pressed his hand to his heart. For moments after that, he felt like he didn’t have the right words to say to the warlock. He took painful breaths with his lungs refusing to co-operate with him. “Magnus”, he looked up, calling out his husband's name.

“Hm”

“Its going to be ok. You are going to be ok. I need you to know that I am not scared... and even if I am not ready to leave you... or my family, I can’t be more thankful for the time I got to spend with you... you have made me the happiest version of myself. A version I never I had hidden in me... so whatever comes next... it’s going to be okay. You and I... we will both be okay...”, he gave him a smile. Magnus rolled his eyes as fresh tears formed in them. They were swollen and red with crying all day and his head was pounding. And he couldn’t see a future where he would stop feeling so miserable. Alec was leaving him alone in this cruel world.

Nobody will ever protect Magnus like his family again.

Nobody will ever love him like Alec does.

Nobody will ever go to the extent of fighting his father for Magnus’ happiness.

Nobody will ever call him his husband again.

“Alexander”, Magnus kissed his husband on his temple.

“Nobody can take me away from you. Not even death”, he promised. “Alec Lightwood will always be a part of you. I promise that. I’m leaving a part of me with you. Wherever I am, whoever I am ever going to be, my soul will never be the same again. It will never be whole again because I am leaving a part of it with you.”, he turned around and curled against his husband, pressing his head in the crook of Magnus’ neck. He could sense his husband’s magic running low and the spell fading away for lack of enough strength. And he couldn’t be the reason Magnus burnt himself out. Magnus tightened his grasp on Alec and lifted the monitor plug lying on the nightstand, inserting Alec’s finger in it. “Go ahead”, he softly whispered.

“I don’t know what I am going to do without you”, he sniffed, plugging the device on to the main computer screen. The monitor beeped with the sound of Alec's vitals. His heartbeat and pulse which was still very much alive and audible to Magnus' ears. He clenched his jaw, holding his emotions together because he didn’t want Alec to remember him crying the last time they ever saw each other. Magnus hooked his finger below Alec’s chin and lifted his face for a kiss. Maybe a final one. Alec clasped his fingers in Magnus’ shirt. Tears rolled down between their squished cheeks and a swivel of magic rolled out of the warlock's hands. Alec's lips were dry and chapped and Magnus didn’t know how much he could lean into his husband before he hurt the man.

“You don’t worry about anyone here…”, Magnus whispered as the last tendrils of his spell flowed back into his hand and he terminated the connection between the Shadowhunter and Lorenzo. Alec would have fallen into a coma and slipped away anytime soon. “We all will be ok. Your family. _Our_ family”, Magnus corrected himself. “You have lived for us your whole life… fought for us and protected us. But now, you can go, Alec. We will be fine here. We will live for you. We will always love you.”, he took a shaky breath as Alec closed his eyes and he slipped into a coma again. Lorenzo fluttered his eyes open and shifted on his bed.

“You can go, Alec. We will all be fine”, Magnus shut his eyes, pressing Alec's head to his chest. He could still feel the boy's weak breaths warm his own skin. But that was going to stop soon. He fixed his vision on the monitor as Alec's heartbeat went down in absence of any external life support. His pulse reduced with his beat. Alec loosened his grasp on Magnus' shirt as he wheezed out another bout of his last few breaths. The ECG lost the peaks of his heartbeat. Magnus pressed his husband closer as if that would stop Alec from leaving him.

“Sleep now, my love”, he whispered as the ECG flatlined and Alec went limp in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i will see you guys on Wednesday?  
> see you <3


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys,  
> hope you guys are doing alright? You know the deal. #MFADfic on Twitter or just leave a comment and yell at me!

It was dark and empty in Magnus’ apartment later that night. Catarina had shared the terrible news with the rest of the family only a few minutes ago. Isabelle was huddled up against Simon in one corner of the living room on the floor. She was holding Simon’s shirt between her fists and her entire body shook with the hiccups of her sobs. Jace stood at the glass wall towards the balcony with his palm flat on the cold glass. It was raining outside, mimicking everyone’s mood in the house. He hadn’t felt Alec leave him because their Parabatai bond had already been severed. But, despite that, Alec was still his brother and he had decades of memories with him that went far beyond their bond. All he could see now were flashes of those happy memories from the first time he met Alec as a boy to the first time they spoke about being each other’s Parabatai. He could feel Clary standing next to him. She had offered him a glass of water sometime ago, but he had felt like throwing everything away from him. No amount of comfort from his girlfriend could have eased this sharp sting and hollowness in his heart. He didn’t deserve to live when he had not been able to save his own brother. His other half.

Maryse and Luke had gone back to the Institute on the matriarch’s insistence. She had said that she wanted to spend some time in Alec’s old room. The one he lived in while he was still a toddler. There was a chest of his stuff that the mother had claimed that she felt like seeing again. Luke had never seen Maryse so broken before and he couldn’t have argued with her. Matt and Andrew had disappeared from the apartment after the boy broke down upon hearing the news and so Underhill had offered to take him home while waiting for Lorenzo to wake up. Lorenzo was still unconscious from the spell. He was falling in and out of sleep ever since he came out of the coma, exhausted by the effects of the spell.

No one had seen Magnus step out of the room since.

He stood next to the bed, buttoning Alec’s shirt and pants. Right after his demise, Alec’s body had regained their vigor and color. He looked bright and healthy as if the curse had never been cast on him. But he wouldn’t wake up. Magnus had sponged Alec’s body clean and dry, removing stains of dried blood and bandage marks. He had changed fresh linen on his bed and even his clothes. Catarina had come in a few minutes after his last breath and tried to speak to Magnus. But the warlock hadn’t spoken a word since. He was just mechanically working, unable to look directly at his husband. Placing Alec’s hands on his stomach, Magnus pulled the stool close to the bed and settled on it. He dropped his gaze on the bed next to Alec’s body and half-closed his eyes. His head was slightly tilted to his right and his body was slumped on his waist. It was a suffocating feeling to be in his position right now. He felt like the walls around him were closing in, and he couldn’t breathe even if he wanted to.

His wedding ring – the Lightwood family ring – was shining in the corner of his eyes.

Alec’s chest wasn’t rising and falling anymore with his breathing. His ever fluttering eyelashes were still as ever. His hands were placed on his stomach the way his husband had left them. Slightly contorted. It had been too early for his muscles to start stiffening with rigor mortis. Magnus hadn’t found the heart to take the monitor switch out of Alec’s finger. As if he still clung to the hope that Alec’s heart would kickstart on it’s own and he would hear the machine beeping again. That some magic, some power of their love would bring Alec back to him again. That after everything, his father will have lost.

Unknowingly, he curled his index finger and thumb around his ring finger, twisting the Lightwood ring around. On the inside of this special piece of Alec, there was a small letter from him. A small message. _Dear Magnus, with love, Alec._ He could feel the engraving on his skin and it felt like he could see Alec alive in this ring and their bond. In their love. It was too soon since his husband’s death but he felt weirdly invigorated with the ring that now was going to be a part of him for the rest of his eternal life. He could hear small mutterings outside the room. Clary and Simon must have been trying to calm their better halves down. Magnus also felt slightly envious that both the kids had their life partners with them. Their Lightwoods. And he had lost his.

Time was passing by and Magnus couldn’t care less.

An hour, or maybe two... or possibly five, Catarina came into the room and called out his name. Or he thought he did. She nudged his shoulder and tried to turn him around to face her, but he couldn’t look at anything else but the bed on which his dead husband slept peacefully. He then he felt her arms wrap around his neck. She was saying something to him, breathing down his neck but Magnus couldn’t comprehend a single word out of it. She pulled him up from the stool and grabbed his shoulders, still speaking. Magnus’ head was still tilted to his right as he stood with his eyes closed half-way.

She grabbed one of his hands and pulled him out of the room. And he didn’t struggle.

Magnus looked around the room and saw the family Alec had left behind. A family that was now his own too. He had a sister-in-law and two brother-in-laws who had been Alec's world. There was a little boy who was under Alec’s guardianship and then, he had his mother and father-in-law that weren’t here in the apartment anymore. Alec had left his entire family under Magnus’ care and the warlock had promised that he would take care of them.

They were, after all, his own family now.

Isabelle stepped forward as soon as she saw Magnus and hugged him. Magnus’ couldn’t make himself lift his hands to hug her back. He couldn’t even reciprocate her emotions and cry with her. The tears had left his eyes with Alec’s presence in his life. He couldn’t even cry if he tried. Gently stepping away from his _sister-in-law,_ Magnus looked around the room without registering anything he saw. There was a numb beeping in his head and he wanted to get away from the noise.

Making his way out towards the door, he stepped out of the door in fresh air.

...

Jace was the first one to speak up ever since they got the news. He had spun around in his place and instructed Izzy to join him at the Institute. Alec had lived an honorable life and he deserved an honorable send-off – one fitting for the best brother and most celebrated soldier of the Clave. Izzy had tearfully agreed as she followed him out. They had to prepare for a funeral, and they had to find a way to inform the Clave and explain them the circumstances which had let to the unexpected demise of one of the most famous Head of the Institute across the Shadow world at large. The trip to the Institute took faster than they thought. Both of them were wanting to spend some time in fresh air before entering a building full of interrogating eyes but they’d reached within no time. The Institute was bustling with daily business and Shadowhunters walking around doing work and checking demon sightings and for a moment, Izzy and Jace were deceived by the normalcy of it. They housed a hope that in a minute or two, Alec would walk into the Ops room and blast someone off for the rule they broke last night. Or, if they just made it to his office down the corridor on their left, they would find him working and clearing reports on his tablet.

Izzy reached out and grabbed Jace's hand as they shuddered realizing that none of this would ever happen anymore. They stepped in the residences area and made their way to the store room to see if the Institute had all the supplies for a funeral. She pulled out a checklist from the drawer and looked around with burning eyes and tears ready to spill out. There was a shroud big enough for Alec, some special steles and some other funeral essentials organized very meticulously. She chuckled recalling the time when Andrew had been punished by Alec to clean the store room before nightfall. “I should make arrangements so that Mom and Magnus can attend the ceremony”, Jace wiped a lone tear that escaped his eye. “…and we haven’t informed Robert…”

“Mom said she will do it”, Izzy sniffed, throwing items here and there to find what she needed. “I will send a fire message to everyone. Tell them to gather in the Ops room at 4pm. We can tell everyone then”, she looked up from the parchment. Jace pursed his lips and nodded.

“I will go and draft a letter to the Clave. You can have a look at it once I am done”, he turned around to leave when Izzy hummed in agreement. To draft that letter, he would have to go and do it in Alec's office, using the pen and paper that his brother used. As if things already weren’t worse enough. On his way to the other side of the lobby that led to the offices, Jace saw the door of an odd room open. It was one of their old rooms when they were kids. There was light coming out of Alec's old room. He sprinted to the door, not sure if he hoped he would find Alec there but instead he saw Maryse holding some of his childhood quiver and bowstring in her hand and sobbing. Luke was knelt down behind her, rubbing her back, but he knew that nothing would have comforted the mother except for Alec himself and he was never coming back.

“Mom”, he whispered. Maryse looked up towards the door and her face trembled when she saw her son. Jace rushed to her and embraced her, holding her close to him. Maryse had lost her eldest and the one closest to her heart. She was having flashes of the day the medics had brought a newborn Alec wrapped in this very baby blanket she held now and told her that she had a very lovely and bright boy. Maryse had looked at Alec chuckling and cooing in her arms and had fallen in love with him.

“Jace”, she sobbed out his name unable to speak her mind but she didn’t need to. Jace understood her thoughts the moment his name slipped out of her mouth as a cry for help. She would do anything to relive everything. To have a chance to bring Alec up again. She just wanted him back.

“I know. Mom, I know...”, he replied. Luke gently cupped Jace's face and wrapped his own arms around both Maryse and him. Jace had never been someone who wanted paternal affection in his life. Not after the childhood he had but this felt good. He felt like he could break down and Luke will be there to catch him from falling. It broke him in a completely different way because he had only ever given Alec the power to comfort him and treat him like a younger one.

…

Catarina cleaned Alec's bed with her magic and then flicked her hand to turn it into a metallic table. She needed to get some samples to see if the curse was still working and if that would have impacted any of the Nephilim funeral ceremonies. Isabelle and Jace had given their consent for the autopsy and Magnus was unavailable, much to her worry. So, she had to go on without him. “Rest in Peace, Alec”, she sighed, adjusting his dead body on the cold table. Cutting him open was a ruthless task but she had to do it for the sake of the Downworld.

Alec's runes that had lost their colour while he was alive were back and bright. Even the wound had healed up with no sign of degradation or infection. Catarina had done a scan of his body and all his organs were perfectly healthy. No one would have believed that only hours ago, this man had died of multiple organ failure. She lifted his hand to draw a blood sample out. Alec’s angelic rune was a large one on the back of his left arm. The table vibrated slightly when she lifted his arm off of it, bringing Cat's attention to it. She saw a purple hue below Alec's hand and lifted his hand further up to inspect. The angelic rune was emitting purple light throughout it’s shape. The light was bright and glittery. Almost like magic. Hesitantly, she put her palm in the way of the light and nothing happened to her hand. The light was harmless. Catarina hurriedly tore Alec's shirt apart and saw his iratze glowing next. One by one, all his runes, started emitting purple glittery light out of them. She felt the runes with her hand. They were still whole. Nothing out of the ordinary. Sending a portal to Alec's family and Magnus, she swiveled her hand to combat this magical energy and get some answers.

Simon and Clary rushed in when they heard Catarina call their name and gasped at the purple hue coming out of Alec. “What is going on?”, the redhead cried. Catarina shook her head. The magic was resenting hers. Isabelle and Jace stepped out of the portal and saw Alec's body glowing dark purple – almost the same color as Magnus’ dark magic but with a more positive influence and signature. The purple hue of the runes then gradually changed into a bright golden starting with his angelic rune and the light was bright enough to blind everyone around. A heat wave emitted out of Alec's body and then something really really odd happened. His dead body left the table and levitated in the air.

Catarina stepped forward to intervene, but a strange shield prevented her or her magic from reaching Alec. They placed their palms in front of their eyes to protect them from the blinding light that Alec was emitting right now. Sweat beads appeared on everyone’s forehead because of the growing heat. Alec’s body levitated higher in the air, sunlight still piercing out of his runes. Catarina scanned the signature of this light and was shocked to see that the light was purely angelic and there was no sign of the curse or its demonic influence. Alec's angelic core that the curse had destroyed had come back. The blinding light surrounded Alec completely and there was a flash explosion in the room that made everyone close their eyes.

Once the light in the room settled, everyone opened their eyes and gasped at what they saw. Alec was still in the air but there were large feathery… _wings_ floating out of his back. The wings were both dark black with burnt and charred feathers and they were fluttering softly, holding Alec still in the air. “What in Raziel's name is going on here? Catarina do something...”, Jace whispered. He wrapped an arm around Clary and Isabelle, holding them protectively away from the light and Alec. The wings and their flutter increased in frequency and the base changed into a bright golden. The angelic light that surrounded Alec slowly healed the wings and turned them back into their golden yellow colour started from their shaft dug in his back. The feathers were shining again. The wing muscles in Alec's back were moving. They were twitching again. There was sign of life in their dead brother.

The wings brought Alec's body down on the table. Catarina snapped her fingers and the table changed back into a comfortable bed. Alec was now lying on a bed of feathers and his runes were still glowing softly on his body. “Alec”, Isabelle shrieked, jumping forward to grab Alec's hand in her. She entangled their fingers together and pressed it to her lips, kissing his hand. She held their hands to her chest and closed her eyes. “Alec”, she whispered his name again.

Catarina shakily took out the monitor plug from the drawer and inserted Alec’s index finger back into the plug. She powered the monitor back on and waited as the systems rebooted and recorded the vitals. The heart was still flatlined and Alec still had lungs function. She shook her head, hating herself for giving Alec’s family hope. She was about to pull the plug out, when the monitor registered a weak pulse. It beeped ever so slightly. The nurse hurriedly placed her hand on his wrist and found the pulse. It was a strong one.  That meant that there was some residual function in his heart. “Izzy step back”, Cat rubbed her palms together and blue magic flowed out. She focused the magic on Alec's chest and gave him a shock. The heart was still in v-fib. “Alec… come on! If you are still in there, hang on. Come back to us, please.”, she grumbled, giving him a stronger shock. His body sprung up from the bed and dropped back with a jerk this time. Cat looked up at the monitor. The monitor registered a heartbeat.

Izzy gasped when she saw Alec's heart beating again. Cat gave his heart another push and yelled at Jace to call Magnus.

…

Magnus stepped out of his portal and looked around. The city of Glass looked like it always did. Bright and angelic. The demon towers filled the whole town centre with a blue hue. They had now been programmed to not alert the Clave of any Downworld intrusion. He walked through the streets, making his way to the Clave office in Alicante. It was a fort structure in the middle of the city, rising higher than all the buildings in the area. Shadowhunters and their families walked past him, giving him a strange look. Magnus Bane was a renowned warlock in the Shadow world. His reputation preceded him. They weren’t apprehensive of him… in fact most of them knew of him and Alec. But, some families were still more traditional than others and therefore hesitant to open up to anyone with demon blood. Unlike before, Idris was not restricted for Downworlders. Magnus wondered if Alec had anything to do with this progressive nature of the Clave. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, but he didn’t want to answer. It must have been Isabelle or Jace, asking him to come down for the funeral. As Alec's husband, he had a responsibility to send him off. Bury him in the City of Bones. But he couldn’t make himself go back to New York and face Alec's bereaved loved ones.

Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he threw it in the fountain he passed by and continued to walk straight into the large iron wrought door that led inside the main Clave building. This numbness in his body had engulfed him completely and he wanted rid of it. Any way possible.

“What do you want, warlock?”, one of the guards stopped him with a blade.

Magnus flickered his pupils and looked at the guard. Had he wished, he would have snapped the guard's neck dead on the floor in a second. But this dark magic had been the reason he had become a widower 20 minutes after his wedding and he couldn’t hurt anyone else with such a disgusting part of him. If it were to him, he would never have used magic again because it had taken Alec away from him twice. “I need to speak with Jia Penhallow”

“If it is Clave business, come back tomorrow during working hours”, the guard nudged his shoulder, pushing him back with the hilt of the blade. Magnus sniffed, not looking up in the guards' eyes.

“I _need_ to speak with Jia”, Magnus reiterated, flaring up red magic in his hand.

“Magnus Bane”

“I am not going to repeat a third time, Shadowhunter!”, Magnus gritted his teeth. The guards looked between each other and then let him through. “You will find her in the main hall of the Gard”, they informed him. Magnus tipped his chin in a nod and walked ahead. He didn’t know where he was walking but there were signposts everywhere and so he just followed the one that said Gard.

Jia was speaking to some of the Clave officials when she saw Magnus walk up to her in the main hall. “Magnus Bane. What brings you by? And where is Mr Lightwood. Isn’t he here to defend you like always…?”, she crossed her hands on her chest and arched a brow. Three guards behind her stepped forward, making a perimeter around her. Magnus felt his chin tremble after Alec's mention and he momentarily looked away from the Clave Consul. Then, he reached up to her and knelt on the ground.

“I would like to confess to a crime”, Magnus mumbled, dropping his gaze on the floor.

Jia furrowed her brows and flicked her hands. The guards stood by, ready to attack if needed. “What crime?”, Jia asked.

“I am responsible for the murder of my husband and the Head of the New York Institute, Alec Gideon Lightwood. A Shadowhunter”, he struggled to say Alec's name from his own mouth. Jia stumbled on her feet when he heard Alec's name and her heart skipped a beat.

“If this is a joke”, Jia mumbled.

“You may call Isabelle or Maryse Lightwood to confirm”, Magnus retorted.

“Murdering a Shadowhunter is a direct violation of the Accords. Do you understand that confessing to a murder could make you end up in your death bed, Magnus Bane?”, Jia warned.

“I am confessing to a crime I am guilty of. I killed Alec Lightwood and I would like to own up to my actions.”, Magnus responded. Jia noticed how determined his eyes looked. There was no fear in them. Only deep grief and misery.

Aline swallowed thickly as she heard Magnus' confession and the news of Alec’s demise. She pulled her phone out and dialed Isabelle Lightwood. The phone went directly to her voicemail. She left the girl a voicemail asking for an explanation. Jia waved her hand and the guards brought Magnus’ hand to his back, cuffing them up. He was pushing to the ground with his neck thrusted against the stone floor. He didn’t protest or struggle at all. The handcuffs were made specially to neutralize a warlock's power, rendering them unable to do any sort of magic.

“Get him set up in one of the cells and bring him in to the interrogation room in one hour. If Magnus Bane is telling the truth, we will know soon. And then, he will be punished in accordance with the Accord rules.”, Jia instructed her guards and walked out of the main hall. The guards pulled Magnus on his feet and sealed his mouth with a a tight cage that was magically designed to stop warlocks from chanting any spells.

“Come on”, they took him down into the dungeons where the prison cells were. He was pushed inside one of the empty cells and the doors were locked.

…

Isabelle caressed Alec's knuckles. His skin was warm and pumping blood again. Catarina had replaced an oxygen mask back as his lungs started breathing normally. She dialed Magnus' number and it went to voicemail again. There was a miss call from Aline, but Izzy didn’t have time to respond to her. Alec was back to her, alive and breathing. This miracle had given them a second chance with him.

“Do you have any idea when he is going to wake up??”, Izzy asked Catarina who was running scans through his body. The presence of two large golden wings was hindering them but they had time to figure out whatever had happened.

“His liver and lungs have regained full function. And his brain is healing as we speak. Its miraculous, Izzy... in my centuries of existence, I have never seen any of this happen to anyone...”, Catarina gave her a hopeful smile and flashed images of his scan. There was progressive neurogenesis in his cerebellum and it was a good sign. Catarina checked his motor impulses and Alec had regained response to pain stimulus as well. “With this rate, he should wake up soon”, she informed. “Have you been able to contact Magnus?”, she asked.

“Nope. His calls are all diverting to voicemail!”, Izzy sighed. “Someone needs to tell him about this miracle and that his husband is back to him”

“I am going to go and ask for Lorenzo's help in tracking Magnus”

“Were you able to figure out how this happened? You checked him right after he passed away... he was dead, wasn’t he?”, Izzy asked.

“He was. I am very sure. But, I am waiting for Alec to wake up now so that we can know that it’s him we have gotten back. And then, I could run some tests and try to figure out how this miracle happened in the first place”, she shrugged, grabbing her things to leave the room. “Please call me if Alec wakes up”

“I will. Thank you, Catarina”, Izzy smiled at the warlock nurse.

Isabelle stepped out of the room when her phone rang again. She answered without looking at the caller ID, thinking it was Magnus calling her back. “Isabelle Lightwood”

“Izzy, when the hell were you going to tell me that Alec passed away...”, Aline shrieked on the other side of the phone-call. Izzy frowned and checked the caller ID. They hadn’t told anyone about Alec's demise yet. Jace was still in the middle of drafting the announcement when Catarina had summoned them back to Magnus’ apartment all of a sudden.

“Aline?”

“Alec is my friend, Isabelle. I deserved to know that he died”, she screamed again.

“How do you… I couldn’t send the mission report to Jia as of yet… how do you know about this?”, Izzy questioned the Penhallow girl.

“Is that the burning question right now? How did I come to know that one of my closest friends died?”, the girl snapped.

“I would have told you earlier…but it doesn’t matter anymore…”, Izzy clicked her tongue.

“It doesn’t matter that Alec is dead and Magnus Bane is responsible for it? Isabelle, are you ok? Look, I am here for you… please talk to me about this…”, she heard Aline gasp on the other side.

“Magnus Bane is what? _No,_ he is not. He would never hurt Alec you know it!”, Izzy rubbed her temple in distress. “And… we thought we lost Alec but…”, she explained.

“Izzy?”, Aline called out her name.

“Aline?”, Izzy responded in a raised volume. “Can you hear me?”

“Izzy, I can’t hear you. But, if you can hear me, I am on my way to New York. Magnus has just surrendered himself to the Clave confessing to Alec's murder”, Izzy heard. Ground shook beneath her feet as she registered what Aline had just told him.

“Aline… do you hear me? Alec isn’t dead… he is alive, and I cannot get Magnus on the call. Aline?”, she yelled again before the line went noisy and cracked. “What did you say about Magnus?”, Izzy frowned.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jia interrogates magnus.

Magnus sat against the cold and wet stone walls of his prison cell with his legs bent up to his chest. He had a mouth plug stuck to his lower jaw and handcuffs in both his wrists preventing from doing any sort of magic to escape the Shadowhunter prison facility in Idris. There was water dripping in one corner of the cell and it was moist and damp everywhere he could possibly touch. This level of prison was meant for Downworld prisoners. Magnus had noticed incarcerated werewolves and vampires sleeping in their cells. They had a neon orange prison jumpsuit on with their nametags stitched onto their chest pockets. They had either been tried and punished or were awaiting trial. Latter more likely than former because the Clave only believed in capital punishment for all the rulebreakers. And Magnus was counting on it. He lifted his hands up to have a look at his wedding ring. The only pathetic part of his mouth plug was that he couldn’t have kissed the band whenever he wanted. He felt Alec really distant to him. But not for a very long time.

An hour after he was locked in the cell, a few guards walked down and unlocked the cages. “Come on, up”, one of the Shadowhunters tilted his head, gesturing Magnus to get up and follow them out. The warlock stood up and trudged with heavy feet towards the door where the Shadowhunters grabbed his hand and pulled him out with force. They shut the door behind him and pushed him through the narrow spiral stairwell that led to the interrogation room as Jia had previously decided. Magnus moved his gaze around lifelessly as they stepped into a well-lit corridor with sound-proof rooms. He was taken to Room No. 4 and tethered to the metal hooks on the table. Magnus rolled his eyes at the dramatics. He wouldn’t have escaped because he didn’t want to.

The door opened a few minutes later and Jia walked in with Robert Lightwood on her heels. Magnus snapped a look at his father-in-law and then dropped his gaze, unable to face any of the Lightwoods. “Maryse Lightwood, ex-Shadowhunter just informed Robert Lightwood that Alec passed away on a mission”, Jia pulled the chair in front of her and sat down. Magnus looked up from the table and swallowed the emotions that gripped him at his lost lover’s name. “So, you were speaking the truth that Alec is dead”, she curled her fingers together in a jointed fist and placed it on the table. Looking over her shoulder, she gestured someone to come in.

A warlock walked in to the room and took his place behind Magnus. “Three hundred years ago, you had helped the acting Clave Consul design a way to forge out truth from the Downworld criminals just as the Soul Sword did to the Shadowhunters”, she arched a brow. Flicking her wrist, she took a deep breath. Magnus knew what spell she was talking about and willingly threw his head back on his neck. The warlock casted a green cloud over Magnus’ head and parts of that magic seeped into his brain, eliciting their effect in the man. “Now tell me your name again, for the record?”

“Magnus Bane”, Magnus dropped his head on the back support of his chair, having gone into a deep induced and suggestive slumber. The warlock bowed down to the Consul and left the room.

“What is the nature of the crime that you confess to?”, Jia asked next.

“I murdered Alec Lightwood”, Magnus blurted out.

“And what is the nature of your relationship with the said Shadowhunter?”, Jia leaned on her elbows.

“He is my husband”, Magnus sighed. Robert quizzically looked at his ring finger and there was indeed the Lightwood family ring shining on it. Magnus wasn’t lying. He couldn’t have under the spell anyway. But the revelation was something.

“Can you narrate the events that led to Alec’s demise in a descriptive way?”, Jia asked Robert to take a seat behind her. Robert obeyed, despite having a hard time processing the news of his son’s demise.

“I corrupted the adamas in the New York Institute wards and used the same to steal a vial of the Heavenly Fire serum from the Laboratory”, Magnus began. “There was no other way I could destroy Asmodeus for taking me away to hell.”

“You wanted to kill your own father?”

“I did. So, I summoned shape-shifting demons from Edom to distract and injure Alexander while I stole the Heavenly Fire serum and breached the Institute walls. No Shadowhunter was injured in the process, but they could have easily been. I couldn’t have cared any less”, the warlock gritted his teeth. His gaze was fixed at something on the roof and it was evident that he wasn’t aware of his surroundings under the influence of this magic truth spell.

Robert recalled the night he had bumped into Alec in the Clave Biobank and gasped when he connected the dots together. “Alexander figured out that it was me behind the breach and he came to arrest me... or I think he did... I cannot be sure of his motives of when he came to see me that day...”, Magnus continued. Robert’s blood boiled at the way Magnus took his deceased son’s name and he couldn’t wait for the warlock to be punished for his sins.

“I refused to comply and surrender the serum that I had already forged into a sword for my convenience taking a young Nephilim's help.”

“You reproduced Glorious?”, Jia widened her eyes.

“I did. And it was a much more powerful weapon than the original one”, the warlock scoffed.

“Then what?”

“Then while I was creating a portal to Edom, Alexander insisted that he would accompany me because his Institute still owned the rights to the sword”

“...he did what?”, Robert snapped, unable to stay quiet. Jia looked over her shoulder and glared at him. “I am sorry, Mrs Penhallow”, the Lightwood patriarch swallowed, hiding himself in his chair.

“In Edom, Alec and I managed to bring Asmodeus down with the Heavenly Fire sword and then the shards of the sword pierced Alec... infusing the serum in his blood. One of the demons of my father’s high army stabbed him before they vanished... and my father cast a curse on him...”, he blurted out in one go. Jia’s brows were towered up on her forehead listening to the brutalities Alec suffered in the realm.

“How did you come back?”

“We portaled back after the realm collapsed because of the magic of the Heavenly Fire.”, Magnus responded, leaving out the details of Isabelle and others going to Edom to rescue them. “The curse that my father cast on Alec slowly killed him from the inside... And that’s how he died.”

“From what you’ve just told us, you did not kill Alec. He died because of a spell your _father_ casted on him”, Jia reasoned.

“I was the one who stole the serum... I was the one who let the demons on Alec to distract him while I store Iris Rouse’s blood from the Clave’s BioBank... _I_ was the one who couldn’t stop Alec from coming to Edom with me. My father cursed Alec because of _me._ ”, Magnus thumped his cuffed hands on the table and growled at the Consul – eyes glowing green with the spell. “What more reason do you need?”

“Those reasons are for you to blame yourself for what happened to Alec. But you didn’t kill him!”, Jia firmly reiterated. Robert fumed at Jia’s conclusion and clenched his fists on the armrests. He blamed Magnus for Alec’s death. For him, Magnus was who he was saying he was – Alec’s murderer.

“I broke Clave rules by what I did to the Institute wards. I stole a Clave object. I took one of your kind to a different realm. I am confessing to aiding and abetting in Alec Lightwood’s death. I _need_ you to sentence me to death! I deserve it.”, Magnus shakily yelled, his eyes tearing up and reddening around their rim.

“You _will_ be punished for those crimes... but you didn’t kill Alec Lightwood. He died in the line of duty, protecting the sword. He was a brave soldier.”, she stood up high above Magnus and asserted herself. She was intimidated by the way Magnus eyes bore into hers, but she was the one dominating the situation in absence of his magical powers. “You can’t blame us for being suspicious of the circumstances in which a Downworlder... one of the most powerful warlocks at that, surrenders himself for a crime that no one else is accusing him of! Neither Maryse nor Isabelle have said anything about your involvement in Alec's death.”, she pressed a small button below the desk and the guards came in.

“Take him back into the cell. I will announce his sentence shortly”, she walked out of the room leaving the door open. Robert stood up from his chair and stopped the guards at the door. Magnus’ eyes were still on the floor, laden with guilt. Grabbing his collar, Robert shook the man.

“I don’t care if Jia thinks that you didn’t kill Alec. You are the reason he’s dead... and that makes you a murderer”, he spat in the man’s face. “How could you? He loved you more than anything!”, Robert sniffed his tears back. “I should have never allowed this to happen... I should have brought Alec to Alicante with me... he would have been alive... like Max is... he would have been safe from your demonic clutches!”, Magnus shut his eyes and swallowed. Any other day, no one could have dared to speak to Magnus like that. And now, Alec Lightwood’s despicable and infidel of a father was standing there, accusing him of his son’s murder. And for the first time, he was right. The guards made their way and took him back into his cell.

...

Alec fluttered his heavy lids and opened them to a bright light filling the room he was in. He expanded his chest and took a deep breath, blinking profusely to clear his vision. The room was warm with sunlight and he could hear muffled sounds of voices from outside. A minute or two later, memories of his wedding and his last moments with his family flashed in his mind along with the fact that his ring finger felt heavy with a ring on it. Was he dead? Is this what it looked like after someone died? Tilting his head to his side, he blinked and focused on someone sitting next to him. _Isabelle._ “Hey”, his little sister whispered, leaning in to kiss his forehead. How was Isabelle here? She couldn’t be! He was dead.

“Hey, Alec! How are you?”, Alec responded to another voice on his left. It was Catarina’s. He moved his head to her side and gave her a nod. “Do you recognize us?”, she asked him. Alec furrowed his brows and cleared his throat.

“What kind of a question is that? Why will I not recognize my sister and my husband’s best friend?”, he scoffed. Surprised at the roughness of his own voice, be coughed again to clear it. “What-what happened? How am I still alive?”

“We are not sure about that. But you came back. Almost like a miracle, Alec. Your body is healthier than it has ever been and all your vitals are looking perfect!”, she smiled, gently pulling off the monitor plug from his hand. Alec bent his elbows next to him and pulled himself up on the bed. Isabelle helped him adjust the bed and then threw herself in his arms, breaking into a muffled cry. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her ear.

“Izzy, hey. I am here. I am alive. Shush now! You know I don’t like to see you cry…”, he caressed her hair, rubbing his palm down to her back. Once they pulled away from each other, Izzy helped him put his feet down on the ground. Alec gasped at how strange it felt. He hadn’t been on his feet in days. Not since his last memories from Edom.

“Are you sure?”, she asked him. Alec pressed his footpads on the cold wooden boards and assessed the ground before giving her a nod. Holding his sister for support, Alec hauled himself off on his feet and stood up tall for the first time in almost a week. “Can you walk, Alec?”, she asked him, still holding his hand protectively.

“I can try?”, Alec joked. He could feel the hesitation in his own body. He wasn’t injured or low on strength. He had just forgotten how to be able to do these very normal things without making a big deal about it. He dragged his left foot ahead and then pulled his other behind him. It was hard, but he felt could and much more in control. “…can’t believe I have to get used to _walking_ again”, he joked. Isabelle wrapped her arms around his waist and held him close.

“You died, Alec”, she mumbled. “…we all saw your… your…”, she struggled to say dead body. Alec kissed the top of her head and wiped her tears away.

They were almost at the door when Jace rushed in. He paused near the entrance and gasped when he saw Alec awake and on his feet. Tears formed in his eyes as he ran to his older brother and almost pushed him back as he wrapped his arms around his neck. “Our rune is back…”, he gasped for a much needed breath and whispered. “I can feel it… I can feel you again…”, he added. Alec patted his back and smiled. “By the Angel, whoever gave you back to us… may they be blessed”, he sniffed, struggling to keep his tears at bay. It was not easy looking straight in Alec’s eyes knowing that he had seen him die and leave only a few hours ago.

“Jace”, Alec pulled away, tapping his cheek. “…you need to calm down”, he suggested. There was a relief on everyone’s face that only indicated how much losing Alec had destroyed them. Fidgeting with his wedding ring, Alec twitched his back muscles because of a certain invisible discomfort that he could feel. Maybe it was a preemptive bedsore. He walked out of the room and saw Simon and Lorenzo talking to each other animatedly. Both of their faces lit up when they saw Alec in front of them. Simon rushed to his girlfriend’s brother but then stopped because it was _Alec._ The serious one. Alec gave him a warm smile and then looked over his shoulder, around in the living room and the apothecary. “Where’s Magnus?”, he asked.

There was an eerie silence around him. Alec turned around and saw Izzy and Catarina exchange weird looks. Alec arched a brow and crossed his hands on his chest. “Izzy, where is he?”, he asked again. Izzy shrugged and shook her head.

“No one has seen him since… since you died”, Catarina told him. “All our texts and calls are going unanswered”, she added. Alec rubbed his brow scar and huffed. Magnus was alone in the world, probably blaming himself for Alec’s death. They were interrupted by an abrupt door knock. Jace answered the door and made way for Luke, Clary and Maryse who walked in hastily. Maryse looked like a mess. Her eyes had swollen bags under them and the eyes themselves were red and sticky with tears. She tightly clutched Alec's blanket in her hand. Alec felt his heart sink as he saw the state his mother was in and stepped forward.

“I can’t be here, Luke”, Maryse argued, unable to see her son behind her fiancé. “I want to go back to Alec’s room, please take me back… I am done with people giving me false hope… my son just left me, and I cannot listen to anyone telling me that there’s hope... because there isn’t.”, she pleaded.

“Maryse, do you trust us?”, Luke held her shoulders and stepped aside so she could see him. Her eyes widened, and a choke left her mouth when she saw Alec alive and breathing. She dropped the blanket from her hand and lurched forward, encasing Alec in her arms. She let out a muffled sob as Alec tightened his arms around her and buried his head in her neck.

“Alec”, she cried, entangling her fingers in the back of Alec’s hair.

“Yeah”, Alec smiled.

“Oh, by the Angel”, she gasped. Cupping his jaws in her hands, she felt his skin with her thumbs to assert for herself that Alec was alive and warm. The sound of his heart beating and the vein pulsing under his skin brought her so much joy. “You’re alive!”, she grinned, tears rolling down her eyes. Alec gave her a smile back and hugged her again.

“Mom”, he called out to her.

“I thought I lost you. I thought I lost you, sweetheart”, she mumbled between her cries. Alec looked up from her shoulder and Luke had moistened eyes as he stood holding Clary close to him. He gave Alec a small nod and smiled. He held Maryse close as Luke came forward and shook his hand.

“Its good to have you back, Alec”, Luke acknowledged as Alec pressed Maryse close to him to one side, leaving one hand free to greet the other members of the family. Alec rubbed Maryse’s arm, holding her close as she composed herself. “Where is Magnus? Why isn’t he here?”, he looked around.

“No one has seen or heard from him in hours!”, Catarina sighed. “I have been unable to track him because my magic is running low with all the treatment going on”

“I am on it. We might be able to contact him soon”, Lorenzo pitched in. “He really took Alec’s passing the hardest among us”, Alec’s heart sank when he heard Lorenzo's words. It’s only a few minutes later when the door slammed open once again and Underhill rushed in followed by Aline Penhallow. The girl had panic written all over her face until she saw Alec standing on his feet in the doorway. Furrowing her brows, she looked around and everyone seemed to be aware of Alec’s presence. So, she was not hallucinating him or dreaming of him.

“You’re not dead!”, the Shadowhunter gasped

Alec gave her a nod and gestured her to come inside his home. “…and if you’re not dead, we need to save Magnus”, she covered her mouth with her palms.

“Save Magnus?” Alec towered his brows.

“He confessed to aiding and abetting in your death in front of my mother”, Aline informed him. Alec swallowed and blinked.

“What?”, he asked as the ground slipped beneath him.

…

Magnus was taken to sub-basement of the Gard after his interrogation. This wing was dimly lit with flood lights and the cells were dark and lonely. It was a punishment in isolation. The cells were sound and lightproof. The prisoner, usually the serious Clave offenders, were forced to live with no outside interaction or contact until the darkness consumed them. Magnus was chained to the hooks in his cell and stripped off his clothes. He was cleaned with holy water from Lake Lynn and given a dark blue prison suit to wear. His hair was cleaned of all products and brushed back, sticking to the back of his head with the help of oil.

“Ms Penhallow will announce your punishment soon”, the prison guard informed him as he stitched Magnus’ name onto his chest pocket. They added new monitor bracelet onto his right wrist that blocked his magical powers and then left him in the room leaving the door open for Jia. Magnus numbly settled on the stone slab and waited as the Clave Consul walked in.

“Magnus Bane. Do you have anything to say before I announce your verdict?”, she asked.

“I have one request!”, Magnus looked up at her. “Would you be so kind to change my name to Magnus Lightwood-Bane in every document you have on me?” he asked. Jia felt a slight pang hit her chest. There was something so heartbreaking about this story - about Magnus and how miserable he looked without Alec. She nodded in response, looking over her shoulder to her assistant to get the work done. “Magnus Lightwood-Bane, you are hereby sentenced to spend 85 years in this prison cell in isolation”, she announced. “You will be allowed to see one guest every month for 4 hours only”, she told him. Magnus nodded, disappointed by his punishment. He had come in here to ask for death. Capital punishment so that he could die and meet Alec again.

“I asked you...”, Magnus argued.

“I will not hang you to death for a crime you’ve never committed Magnus”, Jia retorted. Magnus punched his fist on the wall and cringed in pain. “Despite what you might expect, your crimes don’t justify a death sentence.”, Jia sighed. “And... I have been trying to right the wrongs the Clave has done for so long... I cannot put a Downworlder through something he doesn’t deserve”

“I understand. 85 years is a good time to live without hope of moving on. And since you cannot punish me to death... I would like to request no guests for the time I am here...”, he shut his eyes and turned around with his back to the Clave Consul.

“Mr Bane?”, Jia argued. Magnus looked over his shoulder and sighed. “Mr _Lightwood-_ Bane”, she corrected. “Are you sure?”

“I am. Thank you, Consul Penhallow”, he crossed his hands on his chest.

“Ok then”, she mumbled, stepping back. The wrought iron door creaked shut as she exited the cell and the room was immersed in pitch-black darkness. Magnus groped around and found the stone slab. He sat on it with his back against the wall. He threw his head back against the moist wall and closed his eyes. This is the first time he had had some time since everything. The first time he let himself process Alec’s death.  Holding Alec lifeless in his arms is the toughest thing Magnus had had to endure in his long life. The weight of losing someone he loved so dearly was even heavier than his husband’s dead body in his arms. Magnus wasn’t sure if even entire existence would be enough for him to overcome that pain he had been feeling since he lost his husband.

_The prison cell was dark for another hour or so and Magnus lost track of time. The darkness that the cell was engulfed him provided him with the necessary oblivion that he wanted to drown in. A few hours later, the door of his cell creaked open again and bright white light spread into the cell, much to his dismay. Magnus flickered his pupils as his eyes watered from the brightness and he placed his palm against the light to shield himself. A silhouette of a tall figure walked in, breaking the white light. Magnus squinted his eyes to recognize the figure which looked so similar to him. The same height. The same frame. Maybe he was dreaming. Maybe he was just hallucinating because that figure resembled Alec so much that it broke his heart. Even his subconscious self wasn’t being very nice to him._

_“What, in the Angel’s name, have you done to yourself?”, even his voice resembled Alec. Magnus scoffed, looking away from the shadow as it crouched next to him. His head was pounding with an ache almost like a mundane migraine. He flinched away when the man placed his hand on his shoulder._

_“Don’t touch me.”, Magnus cringed. “I made it perfectly clear to Jia that I want no visitors in here. Ever. Let me be.” he roared._

_“Magnus... what are you saying... it’s me!”, the voice breathed against his forehead. He even smelled the same. It was the same cologne Alec always wore. Whoever this man or his dream was... they were playing with Magnus’ broken heart and he couldn’t deal with it without breaking._

_“You need to stop touching me... you bastard. You think you can come in here wearing my husband’s face and I am going to give in... you’re wrong. Step back... and get out of this cell...”, he struggled. The man cupped Magnus’ jaw and turned it to face him. The light coming from the door was still too bright for Magnus to be able to focus without his eyes watering with pain._

_“It’s me... it’s Alexander. Come on, let’s go home...”, Magnus rolled his tearful eyes and saw a faint image of Alec’s face in front of him. The same hazel eyes. The same dopey smile on his face. This imitation game had been on point. This man, whoever he was, had perfectly impersonated his late husband. The man, maybe just a figment of his imagination, hooked his and behind Magnus’ back and pressed him closer. “Let’s go home come on. You’ve been here for almost half a day...”, both of them stood up from the ground and Magnus felt his arms around this man’s waist._

_They trudged out of the cell and into the bright light. This man’s, Alec’s impersonator’s, hand was protectively placed in front of Magnus’ eyes, shielding them. Magnus sniffed, as tears formed in his eyes. “Stop pretending to be my husband. I never knew the Clave was capable of this cruelty...”, he argued._

_“I am not... it’s me... Magnus look at me... it’s me...”, the man spoke up, cupping Magnus’ jaw and pressing his head in the crook of his neck. Magnus closed his eyes because of the piercing bright light and wrapped his arms around this man’s chest. He supposed that he could have this moment for himself. Even if this was his dream... he wouldn’t mind staying here for a while. This way, he at least got to stay close to Alec and feel his presence around him when the reality was just too painful. The rest of his lonely immortal life would pass a little less painfully._

_“We need to go home, now”, the man spoke to someone else. Magnus hummed when he heard that deep baritone. He clutched the fabric of the man’s shirt within his weak fingers and breathed against his neck. “He needs to rest”, the man spoke. “Thank you, Mrs Penhallow. Thank you very much”, the man added._

_A whistle, a throbbing pain and the bright light around him disoriented the warlock and he dropped on the mysterious man’s shoulder. Heavy arms grabbed him as he lost his balance and the last thing Magnus felt was a warm kiss to his eyelids._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, there you go. I will see you guys hopefully in the near future.
> 
> #MFADfic


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> maybe, i won't get yelled for this one =P
> 
> #MFADfic

_He’s ok, Alec. Just exhausted. I am sure he hasn’t had a drop of water or something to eat since you… well since everything. Don’t worry. He’ll wake up soon. I have given him a bottle of glucose and saline, and he is going to be alright._

Alec sighed, entangling their fingers together as he heard Isabelle speak to him in medical jargon. He hated the sight of Magnus in the Clave’s prison suit, but he had to wait until they were back in New York to change Magnus into better clothes than the ones he’d lost Alec in or the ones he got arrested in. Nothing had been as devastating as walking into the dark prison cell and watching Magnus sitting against the cold walls, partially conscious. The way Magnus refused to believe that he was alive, but also, just the state that he had found Magnus in, Alec had never felt more heartbroken in his life. But, fortunately, Magnus back with him, fast asleep now, curled in the thick duvet of the bed. They were still in Alicante. Jia had very generously given them the guest suite complex in the Residences, letting him and Magnus rest before they went back to New York. Clary and Jace had retreated to their own rooms to rest. None of them had had a proper sleep since everything and now, exhaustion was finally getting to them. Alec bolted the door of their room from the inside and went to the washroom. He looked over his shoulder and saw Magnus horizontal figure on the bed, clad in a warm blank and placed his fists on the cold slab of the bathroom.

His back was still itchy and uncomfortable, but he hadn’t had a chance to look at himself. Pulling his shirt up, Alec turned his neck over his back and saw a pair of faint pink scars on his shoulder blade, running down the length of his back, tapering to the base of his spine. He didn’t remember being hit by the Eidolon in such a symmetric fashion. Alec slipped his t-shirt back down and rubbed his palm down his face. The last few weeks. He sighed. He had trekked to Edom, killed a Greater Demon, gotten married, died and come back to life. In all this, Magnus and he hadn’t had a chance to talk and discuss anything. _He had gotten married._ Alec looked down at his finger and saw his beautiful wedding band. He rotated the ring in his finger and then turned the faucet on. Cold water splashes on his face cleared his mind and he dabbed his face with a hand towel.

When he walked out of the room, he stopped midway when he saw Magnus sitting on the bed, with his back to him. His shoulders were slumped and he looked weak and devastated. “You know, I am really not someone you want to mess with right now”, he gritted his teeth. Alec noticed magic swirling in his hand and he took a step back.

“Magnus”, he gasped.

“Do you dare say my name like he used to. Stop with this fucking nonsense! Stop imitating my husband and leave...”, Magnus stood up abruptly and walked over to the window, drawing the curtains to take a peek. Alec took a deep breath and stepped back. He had no idea how to deal with something like this. How to make Magnus believe that he was not a fantasy or a dream. That he was real.

“Would you turn around and look at me? Magnus, come on. Look at me?”, he asked. Magnus didn’t give him a response and just pulled the curtains open. “Anyone could imitate the way I talk... and the way I walk with my hands behind my back. But to imitate the way my heart skips a beat when it feels you around me”, he stepped forward. “...the way my stomach flutters when you say my full name?”, he took another step. Magnus’ shoulders slumped as he retracted his magic back into his hand.

“...how can someone imitate the way I can make the most pathetic vegetable stew and wait for you to magic it delicious?”, he asked. Magnus flared his nostrils as his lips trembled. “how can someone imitate my two left feet from back when we went salsa dancing in Havana?”, he sighed, rubbing his brow. “Magnus”, he called out his husband’s name. The warlock slowly turned around, unable to still be able to look straight in Alec’s eyes.

“I held you in these very arms when you took your last breath”, Magnus let his first tears fall from his face since Alec’s death. He raised his hands in air, gesturing it towards Alec. “I felt you take your final breath against my chest, Alexander. I remember how warm and moist your breath had felt against my skin... and then suddenly, cold air replaced it... and...”, he admitted. “It’s something I cannot forget in twenty lifetimes if I tried...”, he sniffed, nose blocked with tears. He shut his eyes and tears squeezed out of them. “Is it really you?”, he asked a second later, hoping that it wasn’t a dream. Alec was also teary eyed by now as he heard Magnus’ confession. “How can it be you?”, Magnus countered again. “You died... I saw you die. I _felt_ you die. Alexander... I”, he swallowed. Alec couldn’t reply to it. He couldn’t form coherent thoughts in his mind and words in his brain. Covering the distance between them, Alec wrapped his arms around Magnus, encasing him in. Magnus buried his nose in Alec’s neck and broke into a serious of sobs – loud and heart-shattering. He lifted his hands and clung them to the fabric of Alec’s shirt, gripping the man close. “Alexander”, he uttered his husband’s name in despair, wailing for the first time since everything.

Alec couldn’t say a word to him. He couldn’t let him know that it was going to be okay because he had no clue what was happening to the two of them. He himself hadn’t processed his own emotions until now. “How are you alive?”, Magnus asked him between his shaky sobs. Alec, who was rubbing his palm up and down Magnus’ back, hummed. He didn’t have an answer to his question. One moment, he had fallen asleep in Magnus’ arms forever, and the other moment, he had awoken in the bright of the new day with Isabelle staring at him with a sense of relief in her eyes. He let his husband hold him and cry for as long as he desired. Magnus pulled away from him a good few minutes later and finally found the courage to look at him. Cupping his jaws within his trembling hands, he stared at him with widened pupils and gasped. “You’re breathing...”, he scoffed as more tears rolled down. Pulling Alec down, Magnus locked their lips together and moaned in grief as he kissed Alec for the first time without the fear of losing him to death or to another man.

It was the hastiest kiss he had ever had but also the happiest he had ever felt. With every inch of Alec’s skin that he tasted with his lips, it hit him that this was really Alec. That he was really back with him. That he was one of the fortunate few to get a second chance with the people they had lost. “Your heart”, Magnus gasped, separating their lips. He placed his palm flat on Alec’s chest and sniffed, listening intently. A soft and persistent thumping sounded from underneath his skin. He’d heard Alec’s heart stop and that sound... that lack of sound had been haunting him. But now, there was a sound of his beautiful heartbeat to replace it. “Your heart is beating again... I can hear it...”, he exclaimed, eyes swollen with tears. He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead right above his heart, listening to the sounds coming from beneath his skin. Alec smiled at his husband and swooped his head down to capture his lips for another kiss. Magnus stumbled back as he raised his free hand in the air to hold Alec’s head in place. He slipped his other hand out and wrapped it around Alec’s neck, pulling him close and never letting him go.

“What were you thinking, going to Jia like this?”, Alec accused, wiping his nose as he pulled away from the kiss. Magnus ducked his head down and looked away. He didn’t have an answer for it. “Magnus?”, Alec asked again.

“I-I don’t know what to tell you Alexander?”, Magnus responded.

“The truth?”, Alec demanded.

“I couldn’t live in a world where you don’t exist”, Magnus admitted after a round of silence. “After you passed away... I stepped out... walked around New York... processing and contemplating a life now that you weren’t a part of it... and I realized that I felt empty. Meaningless. Soulless. And that none of this would have happened without me pushing you back into the darkness my father brought with him”

“And so, you surrendered yourself to the Clave? You thought you would take blame for something that you’re not even remotely responsible for?”, Alec asked, wiping his own tears away. “Magnus... you can’t consider your life so expendable. Your life means everything to me... and you can never take it for granted...”

“You weren’t there, Alec... And I had to do something to be able to see you again. I couldn’t even breathe knowing that only hours ago... you’d stopped living in my arms.”

“Magnus!”, Alec swallowed the lump in his throat and widened his eyes. He needed some time to process what he had just heard. You have to promise me something”, Alec lifted their hands together in between them. “…you need to promise me something. No matter what happens, you cannot… cannot do something like this again. You cannot do this to yourself…”

“I wanted a death sentence. Jia let me off easily…”, Magnus shut his eyes. Alec gasped, pulling Magnus in his arms as if he would lose the man if he let him go.

“I cannot... Magnus. Don’t you ever...”

“Don’t leave me then!”, Magnus deadpanned.

“You can’t ask that of someone who is a mortal”, Alec sniffed. “But this can’t happen again. You can’t react like this because I won’t be able to…”, Alec waved his hand dramatically. Magnus shut his eyes and dropped his head guiltily, making Alec stop mid-sentence. He squeezed his husband close to his chest and pressed the tip of his nose to take in his scent. Alec knew this conversation was far from over. Magnus had taken a drastic step to deal with Alec's untimely death and that decision had come from a very dark place in Magnus’ life. Something they both had to deal with… eventually. And they would. Alec promised himself to be there for Magnus through whatever waited for them in the future. And that would begin with them beginning to heal together. Mend the broken connection between them.

Caging Magnus’ face gently between his palms, Alec rubbed the tears from underneath his eyes and kissed the top of his eyelids. The warlock's eyes look exhausted and depleted of energy. He flinched in pain as a sharp twist in his back distracted the Shadowhunter. Magnus looked up and noticed the frown that appeared on his husband's face. “What is it?”, he asked, sniffing his tears up.

“Nothing… it’s just, ever since I woke up… my back has been very itchy…” Alec hissed. Magnus turned Alec around and lifted his t-shirt up.

“What are these scars?”, he gasped, gently placing his fingerpads onto the edge of the scar. The lines glowed in response to his touch, making Magnus retract his hand. “Alexander? Are you in pain? Are they hurting...?”, he gasped as the scars darkened and out flapped two ginormous golden wings, making Alec jump forward. He swallowed, stumbling on his feet as the presence of two rather heavy limbs distracted him.

“What the actual?”, Alec exclaimed, looking sideways to catch a glimpse of the tip of his wings as they fluttered at the level of his eyes. He widened his eyes and looked at Magnus who was equally horrified, if not more. He flinched his back as the blades of the wings moved down in his back.

“I never knew Nephilim had wings...”, Magnus placed his palm gently against the feathers of one of the flaps. The feathers touched his skin and twitched, as if they recognized him innatelt. They gently waved forward so that Magnus’ palm was surrounded by the shafts of the feathers. The response put a smile on his face and relieved the pounding pain in his head, albeit for a millisecond.

“We didn’t... we don’t… this is why my back has been so sore all morning…”, Alec swallowed. He chased his wing flaps, but they evaded them very slyly but seemed to warm up to Magnus rather quickly.

“...and they seem to _know_ me...”, Magnus exclaimed, his eyes fixed on the gold shimmering in the feathers. The wings stretched out of Alec’s back and curled their primaries, encasing Magnus between them and Alec’s chest. The warlock ducked his head as he blushed, unable to process that he was feeling this happiness buzzing in his chest. A feeling he didn’t think he ever would have gotten again. He wrapped his arms around Alec’s waist, avoiding the tapering base of the wings and buried his head in his neck.

“Magnus... what is going on...”, Alec scratched his brow scar and wrapped the other hand around Magnus, quizzically looking at the way his wings held his husband so close to him. As if they didn’t want Magnus to leave him.

“We can go back home and figure it out...”, he hummed. There was a sudden sense of relief and happiness that he was feeling. Maybe it was Alec’s presence around him... and maybe it had to do with the fact that the new strange addition to Alec’s life had recognized him. He felt fresh and warm tears squeeze out of his eyes.

“You’re not worried?”, Alec hummed.

The wings tightened around Magnus, making the frown on Alec’s face turn into a smile. “Alexander lets go home”, he looked up from their hug and smiled weakly. Alec nodded, bending down to press a quick kiss on his lips.

“You know our conversation is far from over”, Alec added.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less, Alexander”, the warlock gave him a weak smile.

...

Clary’s portal opened into an empty lobby. Magnus and Alec walked in, holding hands and gasped when they realize where they had come. It was the lobby of Magnus’ old loft near the Brooklyn Bridge. “Surprise”, Isabelle smiled, spinning around on her heels and extending her hands in the air. “Lorenzo and Andrew got the apartment ready for you guys”, Clary added, unlocking the main door for the two men. Magnus lifted his other hand to Alec’s arm as they stepped inside their old loft. Everything had been done the way the two remembered their home as. Magnus sniffed his tears as he looked around at the familiarity of this place that he had spent a large part of his life in. He could smell his old apartment in here. The one which now also housed countless memories of him and Alec, and their love.

Catarina stood in the center of the living room, with her hands crossed on her chest. She skipped her steps, walking into Magnus’ arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. “You idiot”, she exclaimed, gently slapping his back. Alec let Magnus’ hand go as the warlock wrapped it around his friend.

“I am sorry for putting you through shit”, Magnus commented.

“You should be”, Cat retorted. “I should slap you for this stunt you tried to pull… but come on, go and rest with your husband. You both need it”, she pushed him towards their room and Alec followed. “Alec, I need to run some tests to figure how you so miraculously came back to life… and those wings. Good lord!”, she gasped, poking her head around. Alec widened his eyes when he heard that other people knew about this addition to his limbic system. “Off you go now, sleep and get some rest”, she ushered them both in their old room and closed the door behind.

Magnus carded their fingers together once they were alone and guided them to the closet. Catarina had meticulously transferred all of Magnus’ stuff here but Alec didn’t have any spare clothes. “Walk-in closet?”, Alec joked, as they pulled the string to light the bulb. Magnus smiled fondly and leaned on his side, dropping some of his weight on Alec's chest. The sound of Alec’s heart thumping underneath his shirt brought him such a deep sense of satisfaction.

“I am going to take a shower, I think.”, Magnus sighed. Alec looked sideways, his heart sinking in his chest. He stuffed his free hand in his pocket and swallowed, distancing himself from his own husband. Magnus shut his eyes as he felt the energy Alec radiated and he turned around to look at him. “Penny for your thoughts?”

Alec looked up from the floor and smiled with lips tightly pressed onto each other. “I just… Magnus do you feel how much has happened in the last month?”, he swallowed. “…you came back and… we went to Edom… killed your Dad… I died… we got married?”, he took a deep and long breath. “… and we didn’t stop. Not even for a second”, he swallowed. “Its… don’t get me wrong…”, Alec shut his eyes in pain. “I love you... I really do. I love you so fucking much...”

“Alexander, I understand. I love you too!”, Magnus squeezed his hand. “You can be honest with me... okay?”, he smiled. “Do you want to freshen up first? Just... Go and change and I will take a shower after”, he let Alec go and turned around to give him some space. Before all this, the two had been broken up for over two years and now they were married to each other. Even if they were madly in love, they had to get used to each other again. Fall back in the process of being together. And that would take time.

Later that night, Magnus and Alec lay down on the bed on their respective sides. Their hands were entangled together under the duvet. Alec turned around on his shoulder to face Magnus’ frame. His husband’s eyes were fixed on the roof and they were flickering with moisture. “Magnus?”, he whispered.

“Mm?”, Magnus feigned a smile on his face and turned his chin towards Alec. The Shadowhunter leaned forward and pressed a kiss on the side of his chin, flanking his lower lip. Magnus relaxed into the touch and heaved a sigh of relief. He dropped his forehead on his shoulder and closed his eyes. “What did you say to Jia Penhallow? How did she let me go?”

Alec opened his eyes and lifted his hand to flick his hair away from Magnus’ forehead. “Just the truth...?”, he extended his arm and pulled Magnus closer, laying his head on his chest.

...

_“I am very sorry for your loss, Robert. Alec Lightwood was a brave soldier! The Clave is willing to provide all the emotional support your family wants.”, Jia sighed, signing papers of Magnus’ sentence and Alec Lightwood's death. “I have sanctioned a 10-day leave for you and your children. Go, be with your family. Attend to your son’s last rites. Take some time off. There will be a portal ready for New York at 7pm in the evening.”, she gave him a small smile. It was the least she could have done for a family who had lost their eldest son._

_“Won’t be necessary!”, Jace stormed through the main door followed by Clary, Isabelle... and Alec. Jia widened her eyes and stood up from her chair. She scanned the height of Alec’s tall frame and swallowed thickly as if she couldn’t believe that she was actually seeing Alec. This couldn’t be him. Not if Maryse and Magnus were to be believed._

_“Mr Lightwood, you’re alive! How, in the Angel's name, is this possible?”, she gasped._

_“Alec”, Robert’s lips curved into a small smile and tears welled up in his eyes. He stepped forward to embrace his eldest, but Alec gave him a shoulder tap instead. Robert nodded, wiping his tears off as Alec's entire childhood flashed in front of his eyes._

_“I am. Which means Magnus is innocent. Let him come back home with me... we’ll be on our way back to New York...”, Alec crossed his hands on his chest, looking between Jia and the one guard on her heel._

_“It’s very brave of you and your warlock partner...”, Jia rolled her eyes._

_“...husband”, Alec corrected._

_“Is the Clave and it’s Accords a joke to you...? One minute, your husbands waltzes into the office and confesses to your murder and then six hours later, after we’ve paid our respects to your mother and father... It turns out that you’re actually alive…”_

_“We respect the rules, Ms Penhallow. Magnus thought I died because of him... but I was still alive, and Catarina Loss gave me another chance at life, thanks to her amazing skills”, Alec shrugged. “And that means all of Magnus’ confessions were baseless. So, please, let my husband go.”, he reiterated._

_“Even if Magnus didn’t abet in your death... he still stole the Heavenly Fire serum and breached an Institute’s wards. Those are crimes against the Clave and must be punished!”, Jia argued, poking her finger on a small folder._

_“The Heavenly Fire serum is right here... Magnus didn’t steal anything!”, Isabelle pulled out a vial out of her pocket and placed it on the table. Jia gasped, looking between the vial and Alec._

_“Ms Lightwood”_

_“Magnus was grieving. He thought Alec died and so he came here to get punished. There’s no need to hold that against him.”, she added. “And... of course, you can take this vial, and have it checked. I know it will pass your tests”, she pushed the vial towards the Clave Consul._

_“I can notice people lying the moment it leaves their mouth. So, please. Forgive me if don’t believe you. I am sure you won’t mind submitting to the Soul Sword... you know? Just so that I know the Lightwoods aren’t trying to deflect the truth, yet again.”, she arched a brow._

_“Well, then, if you don’t believe us, then hold us responsible. We also deserve the punishment with Magnus... I knew about the crime and didn’t report it to Alec...”, Clary lifted her hands in the air and shrugged._

_“So did I!”, Jace joined her._

_“Me too... I confess to the crime as well.”, Izzy smiled. Robert frustratingly rubbed his temple._

_“As the Head of the New York Institute, it was my duty to protect the serum, so I guess, I should be punished too...”, Alec stepped forward._

_“So do I, mother”, Aline entered her mother’s office and crossed her hand behind her back, dropping her head._

_“Aline?”, Jia gasped._

_“I knew about the crime... and about Alec and Magnus being in Edom. In fact, I took charge of the Institute when Alec was gone... So, I would like to confess to the crime as well. Whatever you punished Magnus for, applies to us as well...”, she joined the rest of herfriends. “Mom, you know there’s nothing you can prosecute them for... so just, please let them go”_

_Jia dropped on her chair and held her forehead in her hands. “You young Shadowhunters think that emotions mean something over our duties. Parading around, fighting for each other. It’s stupid and childlike... even my own daughter is a part of this drama”, she grunted. “But... I have been wanting to turn a new leaf for a while now... and punishing people for crime I have no evidence against anymore wouldn’t look good on my track record”, she sighed._

_“It’s not about your record, Ms Penhallow. It’s about what is right. You didn’t sentence Magnus to death because his crimes were fit for a death sentence. And now, Alec is back... and the serum is with the Shadowhunters again... you don’t have any motive to keep Magnus in prison...”, Isabelle waved her hand. “The Clave has been prosecuting Downworlders for crimes they’ve never committed... so going a little grey in others doesn’t seem like such a bad idea, does it?”, she wiggled her brows._

_“Mr Lightwood”, Jia sighed, rolling her eyes. “Are you still heading the New York Institute?”, she asked._

_“I am”, Alec responded, firmly._

_“Then, you’re free to take Magnus Bane back to New York. He breached the Institute’s wards... but that is a very local matter... you’re allowed to prosecute him the way you want. His wrongdoings aren’t worth the Clave’s time. You can try him, the way your Institute deems fit.”, she flicked her hand. “I am releasing him into the custody of the head of the New York Institute!”, she signed off on another document and sent a fire message to the documents department._

_As soon as the guards exit, Jia relaxed. Aline noticed the change in her mother’s demeanor and jumped to hug her, muttering a soft thank you. “Congratulations on your wedding!”, she gave Alec a tight-lipped smile. Alec ducked his head and caught a glimpse of his ring... before lifting his head in a firm nod._

_Robert watched Aline and Jia leave the room before he stepped forward to hug his son. “Maryse told me...”, he sniffed._

_Alec awkwardly gave him a single-handed hug and smiled. “I am fine now, thank you.”, he nodded. “Now... I have to go... and get my husband back... I will see you around, Dad”, he added, before leaving the room to follow the guards to the subbasement cells. Robert rubbed his temple, recalling the shit he had spoken to Magnus._

...

Alec watched Magnus’ chest rise and fall with his deep breaths as he snored on the bed. He had fallen asleep a short while after they spoke about what happened with Jia. It was the beginning of what would be a rather hot summer in New York. The air-conditioning in their room was set to very cool temperatures. Alec had been unable to sleep and so, he was sitting against the headboard of their bed, going through the Institute database to catch up with everything he had missed while he was in Edom or dying. Ever since he’d woken up from his death, he had been so full of energy that sleep had become an issue. Also, he was too scared to lose Magnus to let him out of his sight even for a minute. And so, he watched his husband sleep. There was a sense of relief evident on Magnus’ face and Alec would lose thousand nights’ of sleep just to catch a glimpse of this calmness on his face. No other baggage. Just a relief.

Alec returned from his thoughts when Magnus shuffled on the bed next to him and shut his iPad off. The warlock had just clutched his duvet harder. Alec turned to his other side to grab the remote to lower the temperatures when his back stung him again. He flinched softly, losing his place on the bed, only to find his ring wing escape his back and spread flat over Magnus, enveloping him in their warm feathers. A bemused Alec smiled, noticing how his wings, something that he had to get used to, responded to Magnus more than they listened to him. Not that he minded. He looked over to his left side and saw that the other wing was safely inside his body... or wherever they were supposed to be when they weren’t out.

Magnus relaxed under the warmth of the wing and snuggled into the duvet.

He crawled underneath the duvet and turned to his left because his wing was out in an uncomfortable position and he had to turn his back to Magnus to be able to give it access to cover his husband. Alec sighed, disappointed that he couldn’t see Magnus anymore but also frowned the next minute. The wing wrapped itself around Magnus and Alec felt it. He felt _his(?)_ feathers touch Magnus and the feelings were just as if he’d been touching him with his hand.

Well, he supposed it was only logical to be able to control his senses through his wings. They were a part of who he was now. And who was he? A Shadowhunter? He definitely still had his runes... and they worked. Their color had changed to a slightly dark purple tone from black, but they were still very active. He had wings. _And_ he had miraculously come back to life six hours after being dead. The curse... whatever Asmodeus had done to Alec had disappeared as if it never had been cast by the Greater Demon.

The bed dipped next to him and Alec lifted his head to catch a glimpse of what was going on. Magnus was on his back now, lying flat on the bed. Alec raised his shoulder and turned to him. There was a frown on his forehead with crease lines and sweat beads chasing each other down his cheek and covering his neck. Alec looked further down and saw Magnus’ neck wet with sweat and his throat bobbing. He pulled the duvet up and crawled closer to him. His left wing sprung out of his back and sneaked in with his hand under the blanket, squeezing its way all the way around Magnus’ torso. Alec grabbed his husband and pulled him closer with his wings assisting him. They hauled Magnus off the bed and held him up, pushing him against Alec’s chest.

“Thank you”, Alec absent-mindedly muttered to his own body and settled on the bed. Magnus was probably having a nightmare. “I don’t think anyone possibly understands what and how much you mean to me”, he whispered, very close to Magnus’ ear, hoping the man would hear it. “I was drowning when you gave me a hand and pulled me out into a world I never thought I would ever get to see...”, he felt Magnus settle his head in the crook of his neck.

“And you _showed_ me a world that was just love. In the night light of Paris, in the Gondolas of Venice... on the marble in front of the Taj Mahal... all I ever saw was the brown of your eyes... and the way they twinkled against the light”, he pressed a sloppy kiss on the border of Magnus’ forehead and his hairline. “...I could spend a thousand lifetimes reciprocating this love... but that will never be enough... _against_ what you’ve done for me...”, Magnus tightened his hand around Alec’s chest and sniffed. “Magnus, you’re my world. You’re the beginning and the very end of it... for me and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you... I am sorry you had to go through the last two years. I am sorry I wasn’t there for you when your father instilled hatred in your mind... I am sorry I left you alone. _Twice._ I am sorry I died on you. But...”, he pulled him closer. “I need you to know this... that even if I have to spend every second of the rest of my life making sure you never have to go through this nightmare again... I will do it. Nothing matters more to me than to see you happy”, he swallowed thickly.

“I will bring your smile back... and one day, your brown eyes will twinkle again the way they used to...”, he curled against Magnus and pulled the duvet up. His right wing found its way back inside Alec and his left wing enveloped Magnus, keeping him close as they dozed off together.


	22. Chapter 22

Magnus swallowed dryly and blinked his eyes open.  He stretched his hand and squeezed it beneath Alec’s warm body. The first thing he saw was a white foggy duvet covering his vision. He shifted and blinked his eyes a few times to clear his vision. It wasn’t the duvet. It was one of Alec’s ginormous wings that was holding him on Alec’s chest. The wing tickled its way and almost hugged Magnus, making the man smile sleepily. He nuzzled in the crook of Alec’s neck as the latter snored underneath him. “Good morning, beautiful...”, Magnus whispered to the primaries of Alec’s wing that found their way to his face, gently brushing it in response. He lifted his head up and cupped his husband’s jaw, turning it to face him.

He didn’t remember cuddling with Alec when he fell asleep. The Shadowhunter had been awake, working on his Institute cases and now, he was encased between him and his wing. One of Alec's arms was thrown underneath his head where Magnus had slept all night long probably. Alec mumbled something and then parted his lips to swallow some moisture down his own throat. His half-open eyes were a delight to observe from the distance Magnus was staring them from. Ignoring the sudden cloudiness from the tears in his eyes, he leaned forward and placed a kiss on both of his husband’s cheekbones before pecking his nose.

“Let me go now, please”, he whispered to the wing and almost immediately, the wing loosened around him, dropping with a huge roll on the bed next to Alec. Magnus scoffed at the dramatics and gently kissed Alec’s cheek before getting up.

He washed his face and looked at his reflection in the mirror. There were large grey smudged lines around his eyes and his hairs were a total mess. Moving his hand to clear some strands from his eyes, Magnus noticed the ring on his finger. The Lightwood family ring. His wedding ring. He smiled, rotating it in his hand before turning his attention to his makeup essentials lying on the bathroom slab. Picking up a kohl stick, Magnus plucked his lid down and drew a clear wing on both his eyes. For the first time in almost 12 days... _no, two years,_ he felt like he needed to look after himself... that he had to make an effort _._ He shook his head, trying to forget the flashbacks of his time in Edom and then the nightmare that followed once they killed Asmodeus, including Alec’s death. He sprinkled a tiny amount of glitter on over his lids and then dabbed his cheeks with a little lip color. Finally, he picked out a night-robe from the hook and put it on his shoulders, tying it around his waist.

For the first time in forever, he was feeling like he could breathe.

The undercut and his brow ring had to go. That wasn’t who Magnus was. Those were remnants of the Magnus that he had become in Edom. He snapped his fingers and changed it to a little more him. _The real him._ With a hopeful smile on his face, he stepped out of the washroom and looked around. Sunlight was heavily spread around the room. But Alec wasn’t in their bed anymore. The blankets were undone, and the duvet was crumpled on the bed, towards Magnus’ side. The warlock looked around and there was no sign of Alec. “Alexander?”, he called.

He grew anxious when he didn’t hear anything back from his husband. Clearing his throat, he pulled open the curtains of the balcony. Alec wasn’t out there as well. “Alec!”, he called out, spinning around on his heels. He rushed into his living room and saw that his apartment was rather quiet and empty and there seemed to be no sign of anyone being there in the last few hours. “Alec”, he called again, his voice beginning to choke. If Alec’s return was a dream and he was still somehow dead, Magnus wouldn’t know how to process. He swallowed the lump in his throat and rushed into the kitchen, his heart thumping in his chest.

And there Alec was, with his back to him, gulping down a whole glass of water. He hummed in response to Magnus’ name-call and turned to him with a small smile on his face. Magnus closed his eyes and sighed, his chest relaxing after the minor panic attack. Alec noticed the color on his face and sprinted to him, wrapping his arms around Magnus and pulling him into a hug. The warlock breathed in Alec’s presence, clinging to the fabric of his t-shirt. “Magnus”, he rubbed his back.

“Good morning, darling”, Magnus shook his head and pulled away. He plastered a smile on his face and placed his hands on Alec's forearm as if nothing had happened to him. The expression in Alec's eyes however, told a different story. His beautiful hazel eyes that were back to their original color and vigor.

“You?”, Alec scanned his face, looking for signs of worry and then cupped his jaws in his hands, stroking his thumbs on his jawline. He arched his brows and tipped his chin, gesturing Magnus to explain. Magnus pursed his lips and took a deep breath nervously. He hated this. “Magnus”

“How did you sleep?”, Magnus choked out, forming a sentence from his shaking throat.

“I slept okay. But you didn’t. And now… Tell me what happened”, he asked again. Magnus sighed. He really should have remembered that Alec wouldn’t let it go. He would never let Magnus wallow in his own worries until they started eating him on the inside.

Magnus curled his hands around Alec's wrist and attempted to deflect the conversation with a soft morning smile. He leaned forward and closed their lips together and Alec gave in, temporarily. “It’s nothing. I’m working on it…”, he whispered as they parted to catch their breath. “Don’t worry”, he assured. Alec pressed their foreheads together and sighed, breathing against his husband.

“You know I won’t buy into whatever you try to distract me with. Why would you even try to do this? We’ve done this so many times before... I need you... _I want you_ to talk to me.”, he gently replied. Magnus silently laughed, finding it silly that he expected Alec to let him be alone. _Maybe now, he would never have to be alone._ He closed his eyes and buried his head in Alec’s neck, wrapping his arms around his waist.

“I just got worried because I couldn’t find you in the room… and then in the living room… I thought you were gone…and all this had been a dream.”, be mumbled against his husband's skin, sniffing his emotions up.

Alec stiffened hearing this and hauled him closer. “I am sorry. I had water in my mouth and I responded… But I guess you didn’t hear it. I’m so sorry”

“You don’t have to be sorry. I’m the one who panicked without a reason”, Magnus scoffed. He pulled away from Alec and looked to his side, avoiding an eye contact with his husband.

“I _am_ sorry”, Alec hooked his hand under Magnus’ chin and turned it around. Magnus hesitantly lifted his gaze to meet Alec’s eyes. “I will never know what you went through when… when I died. The pain, that guilt… I will never know any of it. So, I should have been more careful.”, he assured Magnus as the latter's eyes welled up new tears. “I promise I will be from now on”

“It’s so silly. I am sorry you had to see it...”, Magnus rubbed his nose clean and scoffed bitterly.

“It’s not silly! You never have to pretend to be okay in front of me. I am your partner... and I have the privilege of being able to help you through difficult times. I vowed to you... so, please, be honest with me. Always... and I will never give up on you... or us. Just let me... let me help you...”, Alec argued. “I cannot fathom losing you Magnus and you _lost_ me. You really _lost_ me… so, trust me when I tell you it’s not silly”

“I love you, Alexander”, Magnus shook his head at his own disbelief. He was still discovering new lengths to which his own heart was willing to fall for in love. The new lengths he was willing to go for Alec Lightwood. “More than I thought I was capable of… and if I ever lost you again… if…”

“I don’t know what the future holds for us. But I won’t be going anywhere… anytime soon. You’ve got me for a long time now”, he kissed his eyes and then dropped his lips to Magnus’ kissing his pain away. “I love you so freaking much”, he rolled his eyes. Magnus nodded, holding Alec's hands firmly in his. It was nice to be held by Alec like that. Like he mattered to someone. Alec loved him and that was enough for Magnus to start healing. For everything he had lost and been through.

Alec lifted Magnus’ face up with his hands and noticed something. It wasn’t out of the ordinary... but then it was. Magnus looked exactly like he did in Alec’s memories of him. The brow ring was gone... and so was the right swept undercut. His hairs were quiffed up and curled on top. There was a thick eyeshadow lining his eyes and lower lids as well and Alec couldn’t help with the smile that appeared on his lips. “I missed you so much”, he gasped. Magnus understood the hidden meaning behind his statement and blushed, ducking his head in Alec’s hands.

Alec took the opportunity in his hands and leaned forward, capturing Magnus’ lips in his. He could definitely get used to kissing Magnus whenever he liked and how much ever he wanted to. Magnus moaned under his breath, taking a step back to rest his body against the kitchen counter. He carded his hands through the back of Alec’s head and pushed him closer, gently massaging his scalp with his fingers. Alec placed one hand on the edge of the kitchen counter and used the other to hold Magnus’ neck as he kissed him. Magnus clasped the shafts of Alec’s hair tighter. Losing control with Alec was such a usual thing that he had almost forgotten. Alec’s lips trailed off from his mouth and reached his cheeks, and then all the way down to the nape of his neck. Magnus tilted his head, giving Alec full access to him and rubbed his own fingers down to the back of Alec’s t-shirt, crumpling the fabric between in fists. Alec opened his mouth and trailed sloppy kisses to Magnus’ throat and up to his chin and then stuck their lips together again.

He placed his hands on Magnus’ waist, using his index finger to poke through the elastic of his pajamas when the glass cabinets behind them shattered. Magnus and Alec threw their eyes open and looked over. It was his wings. It was Alec’s wings snapping out of him that had broken the glass cabinets.

Magnus bit his lower lip still soft from the kisses and smiled. “How on earth did they come out?”, Alec scratched his temple and sighed. He looked at Magnus who was smiling at him and furrowed his brows in confusion. “Oh?”, he gasped a second later with a horrified look on his face. It had taken him a second to realize the knowing look on his husband’s face and the flush that followed was precious. Magnus broke into a chuckle as Alec dropped his chin in embarrassment. He hesitantly looked over his shoulder and saw his wings stretched away from his body and swaying in the soft morning breeze. Magnus sniffed away his tears of happiness and pulled Alec in for a hug, holding his chin in his hand and pressing his forehead against Alec’s cheek.

Alec scoffed and closed his eyes while his heart still thumped in embarrassment. “I need to get a hang of these things...”, he muttered.

Magnus nodded, laughing hysterically against Alec’s neck.

...

Alec adjusted his jacket tightly over his shoulder and took a deep breath as he entered the Institute. In absence of a way to control his own additional pair of limbs, the only hope he had was for his wings to not show up in the middle of a demon crisis. Catarina had called them to the infirmary at lunch but he had almost 4 hours to go for that. In a weird way, he had missed the Institute. Walking into the corridors leading to the Ops room, Alec couldn’t help but think that almost 48 hours ago, he would have never expected to see this building again. The building that had housed his entire childhood and some of his most important memories including the time he called off his wedding with Lydia to kiss Magnus in front of the entire Clave. And now, he had just walked in as Magnus Bane's lawfully wedded husband. Shadowhunters that passed by him gave him a reverent nod and smile even though they had no idea that he had been away for almost a month now.

Izzy and Jace stood at the end of the corridor with wide grins on their faces. Both his siblings stepped forward and hugged him again. “Welcome back, big brother”, Izzy greeted him. “Your Institute awaits your instructions. We’ve called a meeting on your behalf”, she informed him.

“Meeting? To discuss what?”, Alec asked.

“Jia sent personal congratulatory messages for you and Magnus on your wedding and a Shadowhunter received it here. Needless to say, they deserve an answer”, Isabelle shrugged.

“Wow, okay. I don’t think I was prepared to address the Shadowhunters before evening today.”, he rubbed his palms together and squeezed between his siblings to make way into the Ops center. The Shadowhunters stood straight and placed their hands behind their back as Alec walked in.

“There’s a lot happened in the month that I have been away”, Alec begins, hands lifted to his waist. “As a part of a covert mission, I went to Edom accompanied by Magnus Bane to take Asmodeus down. During the mission, I was injured... _fatally_ injured. And people around me say that I also died. But, needless to say, I am here. Alive and well. The Greater Demon has also been taken care of. It’s been a tumultuous month, but we need to get back to work.”, the Shadowhunters stand started buzzing with murmurs. “I need someone to get me a report on all the night patrols.”, instructing his people, Alec turned around and moved towards his office. “Izzy, can I see you in my office?”, he waved at his sister. As he was about to take his first step towards the corridors, he realized that he hadn’t had a chance to speak about his wedding. “Theres… there’s also another announcement. While I was away, I got married in a very private ceremony”, he worded it out. Simply and honestly. “My husband, Magnus Bane and I did not want a very public ceremony and we would be very happy if we can keep it that way. I am sure you were taken aback by Consul Penhallow's greetings and therefore you deserved to know”, he gave them a tight lipped smile and then finally left. There was nothing more the Institute needed to know.

Alec opened the doors of his office and saw dust particles floating in the air against the sunshine. He took a deep breath, taking in the smell of old papers and books. It also smelled of surface cleaners. Alec sighed, closing his eyes to take in this moment for a bit. He’d have lost all this a few days ago. Sitting on his leather chair, Alec pulled himself closer to the table and fired his laptop.

“Alec?”, Isabelle knocked at the door with a small smile on her face. She stopped and wiped her nose. “For a moment I thought I would never see you sitting on your chair again”, she gently kissed his forehead and then walked back to the front of his desk.

“Sit down now!”, Alec grinned, tilting his head.

“How can I help my brother?”, she settled on the chair across from him.

“Magnus is... a little shaken by everything…”, Alec leaned on the table, fisting his hands together on the table.

“A little?”, Isabelle sighed.

“I know... he’s quite shaken”, Alec sniffed. “I didn’t want to put it out there. You know he doesn’t like to talk about these things”, he shrugged. Isabelle pursed her lips and nodded. “Anyway, I came to work today... but I cannot stop thinking about him... he wasn’t the happiest to let me go”

“I know. When you died... moments after it… I mean we were all devastated Alec but he just… he just shut down. I offered to be with him… next to _your…_ you…”, she swallowed. “But he didn’t respond. I was there when he changed your clothes…and cleaned you up and even though I was so heartbroken myself, I cannot forget the look on his face”, she rolled her eyes as if Magnus’ pain flashed in her mind. “That man, loves you”, she shook her head. “and, I can safely say that… more than _any_ of us. He loves you the most”, she shrugged.

Alec looked at his sister and noticed that she was being blatantly honest about it. And how right she was. Alec loved his family and knew that he loved them back. But, he knew what Izzy meant when she said that Magnus loved him the most. It was true. “I am so happy for you Alec. You’ve no idea how much it means to me… to us, to see that little bright look in your eyes. The one Jace, Mom and I…we’ve been waiting to see for two years now”, she smiled. “We all knew that brightness was Magnus. And look, it’s back. And so is he!”, she smiled.

“Thank you for putting up with my attitude in the last two years”, Alec sighed. “I know I didn’t make it easy on you”

“You didn’t… but we’re Lightwoods. We stick together. Through everything.”, she winked. “Anyway, look what we’re talking. You called me here for something?”, she waved her hand.

“Yes… _yes_. So, you… I mean you and Simon…”, Alec swallowed. “You exchange those pictures on your phone?”

“Y-yeah?”, Isabelle narrowed her brows.

“I mean…the ones with something written on a black strip in the centre of the picture?”, Alec leaned forward and explained with his hands. Isabelle's lips curved into a knowing grin.

“ _Snapchat?_ ”, she chuckled.

“Yeah, that’s the yellow ghost app, right?”, Alec arched a brow.

“It is?”

“Do you think Magnus is on it?”, Alec scrunched his nose.

“He is. I have on my friend’s list. He doesn’t use it ever so often... but you know your husband. He likes to keep himself updated with current trends...”, Izzy said, pride bleeding out of her words for her brother-in-law. Alec smiled at that and gave her a nod of agreement.

“Could you… could you teach me how to use Snapchat? You know? To send those texty pictures to Magnus?”, he explained it one word at a time. Izzy scoffed, covering her mouth with her hand.

“You want to send Snaps to your husband? You, my so technologically _savvy_ brother wants to learn how to use Snapchat?”, she laughed.

“I _do._ ”, Alec frowned. “I just thought that if… if I send him snaps about me being ok every few hours, he would feel better?”, he elaborated quietly.

Izzy stopped laughing and widened her eyes. That was the sweetest thing she had ever heard in her life. “You and Magnus are so sweet. I don’t say it often, but I missed this... I missed witnessing your magic... the two of you together...”, she sniffed, happily and jumped out of her chair. “Okie, let’s get… lets get you on Snapchat...”, she settled on the table next to her brother and pressed download on the Apple Store. “Okie… now your username…? _HOTIAlec?_ ”, she suggested.

“Izzy! What? That’s so pretentious?”, Alec cringed.

“HOTI means head of the institute, dumbass…”, Izzy retorted. Alec curved his lips in an 'o' and scoffed at his own silliness. “What about _alecglightwood_?”, she asked. “too long?... I thought so too”, she added without waiting for Alec's response.

“My name is Alec Lightwood-Bane now, by the way. Much longer than that...”, Alec grabbed a cup of coffee from the machine and returned to his chair.

“Sweet!”, she sighed. “How about _aleclb?_ ”, she asked.

“I am really ok with anything Izzy”, Alec sighed.

“Ok, done. Let’s add Magnus to your book list”, she mumbled, using her own phone to get Magnus' username. “Okie. Perfect. So here… this is how you take a picture… and that’s how you take a selfie!”, she showed him the functioning of the app and Alec listened, trying to process the overflowing amount of information Izzy had given him. “Come on, let’s get your first selfie”, she smiled.

“I think I can click a selfie!”, Alec tried to yank the phone out of his sister’s hand, but she pulled her hand away.

“Magnus would love to see your whole face... not just your jaws”, Izzy teased. “Okay, you know what... let’s take a normal picture first And... you can, you can experiment with selfies on your own?”, she smiled, happily lifting the camera to click a photo.

...

The last time Magnus had been to Lorenzo’s apartment was when he had gone to request the warlock to give him a magic transfusion. And now, he stood outside that elegant mansion conjured all the way from Rome and pressed the doorbell. The door swished open a minute later and a spelled self-portrait welcome him into the house, announcing that Lorenzo was resting in his apothecary. Magnus smiled at the dramatics and made his way into the huge house.

The settings of the place had changed drastically. It looked less like a museum and more like someone’s home. There was a slight change in décor as well and Magnus recognized some of the furniture. It was a standard Clave built. It was stuff from the New York Institute. Magnus had seen some of the similar pieces in Alec’s room, although, his husband had the privilege of having special furniture designed for him because he was the Head of the Institute. This stuff at Lorenzo’s apartment looked like it had been portaled from a Nephilim’s private room. Maybe Underhill’s?

“Magnus”, Lorenzo exclaimed, stepping into the living room to greet the High Warlock of Brooklyn.

“Lorenzo”, Magnus smiled, spinning on his heels to face the warlock. “I see Andrew settled in really well?”, he waved his hand around.

Lorenzo looked around his house and smiled, almost blushing if Magnus could guess it right. “Yeah, we’re still moving in... together”, he whispered softly. Magnus’ lips curved into a smile at the way Lorenzo spoke about Underhill. “It’s been a bit of a work in progress”

“It always is... I mean, not like I would know... because Alexander and I got married without moving in... but”, Magnus nodded, rolling his eyes at the irony of his life. “But, congratulations. I will definitely send my wishes to your Shadowhunter as soon as I can”, he added.

“Thank you”, he nodded. “I suppose you came here on business?”, he furrowed his brows.

“I did...”, Magnus swallowed. “I wanted to thank you for all your help... with Edom, and Alec’s treatment... the coma that you went through so that Alec’s family... could”, he paused and calmed himself down. “...say goodbye. Thank you for offering your unconditional support”, he sighed.

“Of course”, Lorenzo nodded. “I mean... Alec is someone Andrew looks up to... so, I mean it was my honor to be able to do something for Alec...”, he shrugged. “Plus... I have been a selfish prick my whole life... you know. Jealous of whatever you achieved because I couldn’t have it for myself. And not knowing how and when to react. But, ever since I met him... I have been trying to become a better version of myself... not just for him... but for myself...”

“I understand”, Magnus smiled again, taking the seat that Lorenzo indicated towards.

“So, enough about me... what brings you by?”

“I was not entirely myself when I returned to New York a few months ago”, Magnus tilted his head. “I did things... said things that I am not proud of... and I took away the title of the High Warlock forcefully from you because I just could... as my father’s son”, he swallowed thickly.

“It’s all in the past, Magnus. We all have dark parts of ourselves that we hope that we could have done without”

“I know... but a part of how I want to heal and move on from the nightmare that was my life for two years... is to right the wrongs I did. And, that includes giving you back the position of the High Warlock of Brooklyn”

“Magnus!”, Lorenzo gasped.

“I mean it. You and I never saw eye to eye on anything... and I admit I was heartbroken to have my title stripped from me... but, I don’t think I can be Magnus Bane... Magnus _Lightwood-Bane..._ and a husband right now... and still be fair to this position. You’ve done a wonderful job of making sure the warlocks in New York are happy and I know that you’ll be an excellent man to replace me”

“Magnus... but you always...”

“I know. And I would always _cherish_ my time as the High Warlock, but I need to do something for myself... allow myself and Alexander to move on from all of this... and spend time together... and I just...”

“I get it. I would love to take back the position...”, Lorenzo snapped his fingers and two glasses of martinis appeared in his hand. “But only if you’re sure?”

“I am”, Magnus nodded, politely refusing alcohol. “Yeah... I guess that’s it. I don’t think I should disturb you anymore”

“You weren’t!”, Lorenzo shrugged. “As much as I love my own company... I hope we can be good friends one day”, he offered his hand. “And again, Magnus. I am sorry for all that I put you through... you didn’t deserve it”

“It’s in the past, Lorenzo”, Magnus winked. He shook the proffered hand and took his leave, walking out of the door. Another burden lifted off of his chest. His phone buzzed in his pocket with a notification and he took it out. It was from _Snapchat._ He didn’t remember using it in the recent past. Unlocking his phone, he checked the notifications.

_Aleclb added you as a friend._

_Aleclb wants to send you a snap._

Magnus’ eyes widened in horror. Bemused, he opened the app and saw the snap. Alec was sitting upright on his chair with no expressions on his face. Not even a smile. Magnus laughed out at the expression and read the caption. _Your husband is being grumpy again. Also, says hi. Photo credit: Your sister-in-law._

He fondly shook his head and clicked a quick selfie. He sent it to Alec with the caption. _I hope you’re not troubling him too much, Isabelle. PS: I am on my way to the Institute._

...

Magnus opened a portal into Alec’s office and stepped inside. He was met with an overenthusiastic Clary putting rows of stapled papers on the desk for Alec. “Biscuit!”, Magnus called out to the redhead. She looked up and winked.

“Hi!”, her soft voice jingled in the air.

“Where’s Alexander?”, Magnus asked, dropping his phone on the table.

“Oh, he is already at the infirmary. I was just arranging reports for him to see. But he’s expecting you there”, she tilted her head.

“Is Catarina here?”

“She is. Isabelle walked her in 10 minutes ago”, Clary informed him.

“Thank you, biscuit. I’ll see you?”

“Yes, I’ll join you and Alec as soon as I can”

Magnus rushed into the infirmary and saw the private ward set up for no disturbances by the Shadowhunters. Andrew let Magnus in without an explanation and shut the doors behind. Alec was lying on a wide bed in the center of the room. Catarina stood next to him with an iPad in her hand. “You started without me?”, Magnus complained, walking up to join Alec next to his bed. He swallowed when he saw the man lying with his chest marred with ECG monitors and a tube running down his nose. There was something so morbid about that image. He never wanted to relive the time when Alec was on his death bed only a few days ago.

Alec lifted his hand and gestured it towards him. “Hey!”, Magnus smiled. The monitors in the room beeped as they showed Alec’s vitals.

“I am going to have to apologize for this”, Cat sighed. She lifted a surgical blade in her hand and then Alec’s hand. Magnus widened his eyes as he looked between his friend and Alec’s arm. Catarina slid the blade against his pale skin, slicing it all the way down to his arm’s length. Alec squeezed his eyes shut and clutched Magnus’ hand.

And then,

_...and then the cut sealed itself along the length almost just as fast as Catarina sliced through. Before Magnus or Alec could process, Alec’s skin was back to it’s original state, totally healed up and healthy, with only remnants of drops of blood on it._


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> wings, explanations, and more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all.
> 
> I know I've been away for a week but I had such a busy one. We're down to the final two chapters of the story and I cannot believe it's ending. Just hold on tight and stay with me. #MFADfic

“I was right”, Catarina gasped, running a thumb down the line where she had just cut Alec’s arm. There were no signs of injury – just a faint pink scar. Alec had healed up. “I apologize for the dramatics”, she shrugged.

“What just happened?”, Magnus squeaked, holding Alec’s hand in his and using his free hand to check the arm that Catarina had just cut. It was like the cut had never been there. “Did Alec just miraculously heal himself without an iratze?”, he gasped, lifting Alec’s t-shirt to see if his healing rune was glowing. It wasn’t.

“He healed himself. You’re right”, Catarina sighed.

“So, what, does it mean? The resurrection gave Alec wings _... and healing abilities?_ ”, he asked, settling himself down on the bed next to his husband. Catarina pulled out the patches of ECG monitor from Alec’s chest and then carefully drew out the nasal tube in his throat that she had lodged to get his blood-gas and lung function report. Alec gasped for air as soon as he could breathe on his own again. Catarina swiveled her hand and threw a bunch of images on the TV screen.

“I took some of Alec’s blood before he woke up yesterday... after he started breathing again”, she tipped her chin towards the screen. “This video on the right is from the blood which was cursed with Asmodeus’ magic. Do you see how his cells are dying rapidly?”, she pointed out. The video on the left was a time-lapse showing Alec’s cells shriveling and then bursting on their own. Magnus raised his arm and wrapped it around Alec’s shoulder so that he could settle his head under it. “And this is his blood smear from yesterday. Look at his cells. They’re so healthy and working just fine”, she sighed. “More than fine actually. They’re working at ten-folds of their normal efficacy”, she informed. Everyone watched the video with his cells vibrating

“What?”, Alec widened his eyes.

“...yup”, Catarina popped the p.

“What does that mean?”, Magnus licked his lips. “It’s a good sign, right? It means that Alec has healed from my father’s curse... somehow?”, he added.

“There’s no sign of the curse ever being there”, Catarina informed. “It’s like... Alec’s original cellular signature got wiped off after he died... and the cells reprogrammed themselves because of something”

“Reprogrammed themselves to work better?”, Alec furrowed his brows.

“Not just better. But the best. I compared your heart rate, your organ functions to a normal Shadowhunters and all your vitals are so healthy, Alec... in fact...”, she argued. “I tried to induce apoptosis... which is cell death basically in your cells... and so far, your cells have been successful in evading all apoptotic triggers”

“What does it mean?”, Alec arched his brows.

“It means your cells are basically incapable of dying anymore”, Isabelle offered. “They have full power to regenerate in case of a trauma or injury”, she elaborated. Catarina hummed in agreement and displayed a few videos on screen.

“I gave them stress induced death signals... starvation signals... toxic signals... and look at your cells. They identify the signal and engulf it... nullifying their effects. This is why I tested that blade on you. Such a regenerative power has to manifest overall in your body as well”, she shrugged.

“My skin regenerated as soon as you cut it”, Alec nodded.

“Potentially, this makes you invincible”, Catarina assumed.

“Do you have any answers on how it could have happened?”, Magnus asked.

“No, but I have contacted some of my trusted sources at the Spiral Labyrinth. They have promised that they would get back to me as soon as possible”, Magnus lifted his brows at that. “I know... I haven’t disclosed who the information is for. They don’t know that it’s a Shadowhunter in question. Magnus, I wouldn’t out your husband”, she tilted her head, to which Magnus just smiled.

She tapped the iPad screen and then frowned. “Alec, why are you blocking me?”, she mumbled.

“Blocking you, how?”, Alec furrowed his brows.

“You have your block rune activated”, she sighed, gesturing towards his neck.

“What?”, Alec lifted his hand to his neck and felt the rune with his fingers. “I haven’t activated any rune”, he shrugged.

“I cannot read your vitals anymore?”, she gestured towards the screen with her chin and indeed, all the monitors were showing neutral numbers.

“I don’t even have my stele”, Alec scratched his brow.

“But you’re blocking us”, Jace stepped forward. “I can’t feel you as strongly as I was a few minutes ago”, he added.

“What the hell is happening?”, Alec yelled in frustration.

“Alec... just, activate your angelic rune for me. Just do it”

“Do it _how?_ ”, Alec rolled his eyes.

“Focus on it... think about it”, Catarina suggested.

“This is stupid”, Alec rolled his eyes and then took a deep breath. He focused hard on the angelic rune on his forearm. The rune twitched under his skin and then glowed, emitting light. It was the same as when he had woken up. A shimmering purple hue spreading out in the shape of the rune. Alec widened his eyes and gasped. “How am I doing this?”, he covered his mouth with his hand.

“That... wow”, Jace’s eyes shined as he watched the rune shimmer on his brother’s arm.

“You’ve never been able to do this before, right?”, Catarina asked.

“Nope... just when I was in Edom and Jace and I had our... powers linked through the adamas”, he waved his hand. “I could activate runes because Jace can... through his connection to Raziel...”

Catarina opened her mouth to say something and then stopped, looking between the two Parabatai. She took a deep breath and then spoke up. “Jace, try activating any rune in your body”

Jace nodded, rolling his sleeve up. He focused on his angelic rune and closed his eyes. Nothing happened. The rune didn’t glow and Jace didn’t feel the surge of angelic powers through his body. “This has never happened before. I should be able to activate them... usually...”, he shook his head and tried again, this time focusing on the iratze. Nothing happened again. He opened his eyes and looked at Catarina for answers.

“How long did you wait before breaking your adamas connection with Alec?”, she asked. Jace rolled his eyes and then gasped when he realized something. He never broke off the connection. Looking up at his brother, Jace exchanged a knowing look because Alec recalled the same thing.

“We never did. We never got to breaking the connection.”, Alec mumbled. Jace took out the adamas from his pocket and activated it using a stele. It was showing no signs of a connection between him and his Parabatai.

“The adamas says that there’s no connection between us. But we never broke it”, Jace shook his head.

“You didn’t break the connection when Alec was cursed?”, Catarina blew air out of her mouth nervously.

“We never got the time... Alec was really messed up when we got back to New York and then he passed away and we never really thought it would be necessary to break the bond....”, Jace explained.

Catarina gestured Magnus to stand away from Alec and then waved her hand over him. Her magic flowed out of her hand and surrounded Alec. She closed her eyes and yanked the adamas stone out of Jace’s hand, bringing it to her. Alec’s body glowed a combination of white and gold... with his runes turning yellow. And the adamas glowed with the same color scheme as well. She retracted her magic and the stone and opened her eyes. Everyone was looking at her for explanation.

“There’s a similar signature on both the adamas and Alec’s blood”, Catarina described.

“But I don’t feel any connection to Jace beyond our Parabatai bond”

“I am going to take some of your blood and run some more tests. Some magic spells this time... maybe that would explain why I still feel a connection of your angelic core to Jace or something else...”, she scratched her head and inserted a syringe in one of Alec’s veins and takes a tube full of sample. “Maybe that would explain why you have wings all of a sudden too”

“And I cannot control when they come out”, Alec huffed.

Magnus smiled at the recollection of the same morning and hauled Alec closer, holding his arms around the man’s chest. “And they have a weird recognition for Magnus”, Alec rolled his eyes.

Catarina looked at her friend and then smiled. She could see the little hint of happiness in his eyes. They were still sunken and dark, but atleast they now had hope instead if despair. Catarina couldn’t remember the last time she had seen Magnus smile so freely and without any emotional burden. “The first time they appeared was when Alec woke up from death... and”, Catarina informed them. “I am sure they’re just manifestations of whatever helped Alec come back... and they just recognize Magnus because that’s the one person that means the most to him... like, it’s pretty much Magnus’ magic reacts to Alec’s presence...”, she waved her hand in air.

“So, we still have nothing to go on with though”, Alec intervened.

“We do... but we just need some confirmation about it, alright?”, Catarina pressed her hand to Alec’s shoulder and gave him a nod. “I will come back as soon as I have something concrete”, she wrapped her things up and opened a portal in the room. “Madzie wants to spend the night at your place. Text me whenever you guys are up for it. ok?”

“She can come anytime she wants. We’ll both be glad to take care of her again...”, Magnus nodded. He pressed a small kiss to Alec’s temple and then walked out with Catarina, taking her aside to talk privately. “Alexander’s doing ok, right, Cat?”, he asked. “He’s fine... you’re not hiding anything serious about his condition? He’s not in any sort of danger... is he? Because I cannot bear to lose him again...”, he asked, blurting out an array of questions, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Why would I hide anything serious, Magnus?”, Catarina frowned.

“I know you wouldn’t... but he’s ok?”, he asked again.

Catarina placed both her hands on Magnus’ forearms and nodded. “Alec’s fine. I’ve never seen him healthier... ok? There are a few theories that I have but... until I am sure about what I know, I will not freak his family out... nor him...”, she assured him. “Whatever this is... we’re going to get to the bottom of it... and we’ll know soon. We’ll know how and what brought Alec back to us. But you brace yourself. Your husband isn’t going to leave for a long long... awfully long time”, she winked. Magnus narrowed his brows and looked at her, as if she was implying something else. Something specific that Magnus didn’t think could ever happen...

“Catarina you don’t mean...?”, he scoffed, nervously.

“I do”, Catarina whispered, looking over his shoulder to make sure there was no one listening.

“If my preliminary test results are any indication, and I am not trying to freak you out. Alec’s cells appear immortal to me. They’ve resisted ageing signals as well...”, she added.

“You don’t think... you don’t think my father took away Alec’s mortality from him? That _this_ was the actual curse that he put on Alexander... not just destroying his soul...”, Magnus gasped.

“It is possible. The curse couldn’t have just disappeared Magnus. But I think Asmodeus didn’t know what he was doing when he cursed Alec. He just wanted to take his angelic soul away... and then when the curse killed Alec, the connection, _his_ connection to the Angel via Jace did something... something to avert the curse. Or transform it into something else. He was already under a spell... bound to Jace with adamas. That connection, coupled with the curse, took over Alec’s body... so much so that even though he’s a Shadowhunter... his core is more than just half-angelic now. It’s different. That’s just my theory”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if a part of my father’s curse was to strip Alec of a chance at a normal life...”

“Yeah but giving him immortality means that he could possibly stay with you forever. And that goes against Asmodeus’ wish. He never wanted you and Alec together”, Catarina retorted, quizzically.

“He also knew that Alec’s life... and his mortality was important to me. His chance of living and growing old with people he cared about... was important to me... as was important to Alexander... and”

“Magnus, don’t overthink this. It’s not like you can do a lot about if Alec is indeed immortal... you’re going... you’re both going to have live with that. So just, hold on for now. Take this time with your husband. You need it. Both of you do. And then when we come to that bridge... we’ll cross it. We’ll see how to cross it...”, she squeezed his shoulder. “I’ll be back with my findings, alright?”

“Thank you, Cat”, he smiled. “Over the last few weeks, you’ve done so much for Alec... and saved his life... thank you”

“Your man is worth saving. He fought the world for you. He went to Hell for you, my friend... and I would anything for the man who holds you at that worth. You mean everything to him... and _that_ alone is reason enough for me to do anything for him. Because _you_ mean the world to me too”, she tapped his cheek and pulled him in a hug. It was nice to Magnus so openly vulnerable after what seemed like years.

...

“Oh, come on, Matt. Are you messing with me on purpose?”, Jace growled, throwing his head back on his neck. Matt had missed the target by almost a foot. “I’ve seen you train with Alec... and your aim is foolproof. What are you doing today?”, he gritted his teeth, frustrated at the boy.

“I told you... I am out of practice”, Matt shrugged. He shouldered his bow and spun on his heels to wink at his trainer.

“It’s only been a month”, Jace deadpanned.

“So? Plus, you’re not the best archery teacher”, Matt teased.

“Well too bad. You get me until the medics clear Alec for training and combat”, Jace retorted. “Take it from the top again. And Matt?”, he arched a brow. “Focus. I really have to make you finish this session”

“You’re being too harsh on my student, Jace”, Matt smiled when he heard his favorite voice standing at the door. He dropped his bow and skipped his way towards Alec, throwing himself in the Shadowhunter’s arms.

“Tell him, Alec”, Matt scoffed, holding out his fist to bump.

“And you’re troubling my brother?”, Alec bent down, holding his knees and squinted his eyes at the boy.

“Am not”, Matt argued.

“You are. Now come on. Complete your session. Give me another round of 10 shots. And 6/10 minimum. Got it?”, he waved his hand, taking a seat in the benches in the corridors of the training area.

Matt pulled his arrows in his bow one by one and aimed on the target. He hit close to the bull’s eye. He was clearly out of practice. Although not as much as he had let Jace believe. Alec watched him train, proud of the Shadowhunter that he was becoming and the person he was.

“Did you see that Alec?”, Matt yelled, bringing Alec’s attention back to his present. There was an arrow lodged in the center of the target. Alec’s lips curved into a big grin as he clapped.

“Whose out of practice now?”, Jace arched a brow.

“You’re just not a good tutor. Alec is here, and I am back to my original absolute, fabulous self...”, Matt grinned, cheekily.

“Alec, you really need to teach your prodigal son some manners”, Jace complained.

“Matt... Jace is one of the best fighters at the Institute”

“You’re the best archer”, Matt retorted.

“I agree... which means that the archery lessons remain with me. But I would be really happy if you start doing other weapons’ training under Jace. Even some combat training. Yeah?”, he stood up and walked into the arena.

“Why? Do you not want to train me anymore? Are you not fit to be in the field, Alec?”, Matt’s face fell.

“No... no. That’s not it. I am fine. And with some rest, I can be in the field again. I just...”, he took a deep breath. “I am going to need some personal time from the Institute... you know?”

“To be with Magnus?”, Matt’s nodded, realization hitting him.

“He needs me”, Alec sighed.

“You need him too...”, Matt and Jace said in unison and then smiled at each other.

“Yeah, I guess”, Alec shrugged.

“Don’t worry. I will have Jace train me”, Matt elbowed the blond haired Shadowhunter.

“You promise to do good?”

“Scout’s honor”, Matt nodded.

...

Magnus leaned on the frame of the door that led into the balcony of Alec’s office. He was waiting for him to come back so that they could return home in time for dinner. He took a deep breath and sighed. He had missed Alec’s proposal dinner here. He had arrived drunk out of his mind and broken down in his then-boyfriend’s arms. But now they were married, and Alec was his husband. And he wasn’t going to leave him for a very long time, if Catarina’s theories were to be believed.

“Hey”, he heard a very enthusiastic Alec and turned around.

“Hi”, he smiled. “How did it go with Matt?”

“I told him that Jace would take over his training for a while and that I would only continue his archery lessons for now”

“And how did he take it?”

“He was very happy when I told him why I wanted the time off”, Alec reached the entrance to his balcony and leaned on the frame behind Magnus, letting the warlock fall back on his chest. “You looked worried after talking to Catarina in the afternoon”, he mumbled, pressing his lips to the side of his head. “Did she tell you something about my resurrection?”

“I just needed to know if you’re safe. She has a few theories about your resurrection... but, I am not sure if I should tell you and freak you out...”

“You would rather freak out alone?”, Alec looked up at the sky ahead of them, stars twinkling in his eyes.

“I am not freaking out. If I were, I promise, I would have told you…”, Magnus whispered softly. He rested his head on the frame and smiled when Alec pressed his own temple against his, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling Magnus closer. He closed his eyes and heaved out a deep breath, relaxing in the warm embrace of his husband. He couldn’t explain to Alec the relief he felt every time Alec lived around him. Just lived.

Alec closed his eyes as he noticed the balcony.

“I will always regret not giving you a chance to propose me here that night”, Magnus sighed, lifting his hand to place it on Alec’s arm around his waist. “...and for ruining your surprise and a very beautiful dinner date”

“I don’t regret it because it wasn’t meant to happen like that…”, Alec mumbled. “I couldn’t have lived with myself knowing that you were suffering and yet I had made you hear my plans of being with you... and marrying you. It was a selfish plan to begin with”, he admitted.

“You were trying to protect me in your own way”, Magnus defended him.

“Maybe...”, Alec shrugged. “…but you needed support... and care back then. Not a band on your finger”, Alec deadpanned. “I should have been wiser. And I am glad I didn’t get a chance to propose because I would have ruined it... not that I was glad for your breakdown... but”, he swallowed. “No, in fact, now that I think about it... you needed that moment for yourself. Just letting everything out”, Alec looked up and pressed his lips onto the side of Magnus’ forehead. “You needed to feel everything and let it out”

“It was embarrassing... and totally unlike me”, Magnus smiled, tearfully.

“No, it wasn’t. Don’t say that”, Alec argued, sniffing softly. Magnus noticed the sound and looked to his side. Alec’s eyes were glistening with a sheen of tears over them. He squeezed the hand that his husband had around his waist and turned around in the embrace with his back to the door frame. Alec was trying to avoid an eye-contact. Magnus rubbed a thumb next to both of Alec’s eyes, wiping the lone drops of tear and held him by his neck. “It would be one of the biggest failures of my life... if my husband ever thought that being himself in front of me is not a possibility”, he admitted. “I could never live with that...”

“Alexander”, Magnus gasped.

“I mean that, Magnus. It would be the darkest day of my life when you have to hide how you feel from me”, Alec reiterated, tears welling up in his eyes. “And...”

“I promise you... we won’t let it come to that?”, Magnus furrowed his brows. “But... you’ve to promise me something too?”

“Anything. Everything!”, Alec was quick to respond.

“You will never do something as reckless as summoning a Greater Demon to solve my problems... ok?”, he sniffed, hinting a playful tone behind his voice. Alec’s lips curved up and he chuckled.

“I promise”, Alec nodded. He paused and scanned Magnus’ face. From his beautiful brown eyes to his caramel skin contoured with a little makeup. His darkly lined eyes and naturally pink and glossy lips. But that’s not what he saw. He saw the language his eyes spoke. The way they communicated with him. The way Alec could see his entire world in those eyes. The way those eyes found him in a crowd when all he wanted was to hide. The eyes that chose him. He saw the lips that curved into the sweetest smile when he spoke to Magnus... and they way they tasted when he locked his own onto them. The way his face crinkled when Alec made him laugh.

The way their faces were perfectly carved out for each other. The way they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle when they kissed. The way Magnus’ face softened when he was with him.

Alec’s lips trembled as the painful memory crossed his mind. The memory that he had given this up. That almost until a few days ago, he had lost this. The way his existence had diminished to nothing when Magnus wasn’t there with him. The way love would have ceased to exist in a world where Magnus didn’t love him anymore. Alec’s throat broke out into a controlled sob as he realized that he could have lost this. He had almost died on this. He felt his chest tighten as his tears continued to flow out. Every second that passed made it harder for him to control this burst of affection. He looked up from the rest of Magnus’ face to his eyes and there was a clear message in them. _It was ok. I am here for you._ And that’s how the doors guarding Alec’s emotions flew open.

He buried his head in Magnus’ opens arms and let it all out. Just like he had promised Magnus could. Whenever he wanted. “ _I am so sorry_ ”, he wheezed out between his sobs. It was an apology for not being able to help Magnus, for summoning Asmodeus, for breaking up with him... for not being able to save him from Edom. It was an apology for not telling him how much Magnus meant to him, for not standing up for him... for almost dying on his husband... and for breaking down right now. It was also an apology for letting Magnus think that he could surrender himself to the Clave to suffer for his actions that he thought had led him to losing Alec.

Magnus rubbed his palm down Alec’s back and closed his eyes. They were burning with tears of his own. He swallowed the lump in his own throat and threw his head back against the door frame. Alec was having a moment. And he was going to let him. He swirled his hand quietly and the door to his office shut, and locked from the inside. “ _I am sorry_ ”, he heard another of Alec’s heartfelt apologies and his heart broke. There was nothing in response that Magnus could say. _And_ he didn’t want to. Alec deserved to heal as much as he did. He had suffered just as much.

“ _I love you so much_ ”, Alec shook his head, soaking Magnus’ shirt with tears.

“I love you too”, Magnus replied this time.

Alec’s body was shaking. His chest was trembling with fear and grief. He was holding on to Magnus for his life. When he pulled away, his face was red and wet. There were tears flowing out of his eyes and nose and his cheeks were puffed up and warm. Holding him by his chest close to him, Magnus grabbed the hem of his sleeve and wiped of his husband’s cheeks, drying them off tears. Alec didn’t bother to look up from the ground. He sniffed and let Magnus clean him up and kiss his cheeks before he managed to stare back at his husband. “I am sorry”, Alec gulped again.

“What for?”, Magnus gave him an assuring smile.

“This”, Alec arched his brows.

“There’s no need”, Magnus smiled, kissing the bridge of his nose. “Let’s grab your clothes and head back home? Yeah?”, he suggested. “And anything that you want to take from your room back to my place… _our_ place”, he corrected.

“I… I don’t think I have anything in the office that we need to take”, Alec looked around, glancing at his sofa and couches. “We can just take my clothes”, he shrugged, pulling away from Magnus.

“I meant your room, Alexander?”, Magnus furrowed his brows and noticed Alec avoiding eye-contact all of a sudden. HeHe noticed Alec stuff his hands in his pockets and slump his shoulders. “What is it, love?”, the warlock asked, gently placing a hand on Alec's arm. He flinched away on touch and gasped.

“I don’t live in my room anymore. Neither do I use anything from there…”

“Where _do_ you live then?”, Magnus asked.

Alec took a deep breath and sighed. He blinked a few times before looking over his shoulder towards Magnus. “Here”, he looked around. Magnus’ eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to say something. Looking around, he noticed the things he hadn’t before. There was a set of pillows on the couch and a blanket and a duvet. Some of Alec's frequently used jackets were hung on a coat stand and a pair of his night clothes were thrown over the backrest of the couch.

“Why? What happened to your room?”, Magnus gasped.

“The night before Halloween… the night before broke up with you was the last night I spent in the room. With you”, he mumbled in an admitting tone. “… I couldn’t get myself to go into that room which had so many memories… so many things that were still yours”, he sighed. Magnus lifted his hand to Alec's cheek and gently rubbed his thumb on his skin.

“So, you moved into your office?”, Magnus asked.

“Yeah, I mean I could work here as much as I wanted and then sleep when I literally collapsed”, Alec scratched the scar on his brow.

“Well, we can change those painful memories to happier ones. One moment at a time”, Magnus suggested. He held out his hand for Alec to grab and they walked out of Alec's office and straight towards the staff Residences. “I love you.”, Magnus mumbled as he curved his other hand around Alec's arm, rubbing his softly. Alec opened his room with the unlock rune and coughed as dust puffed out of the room. He waved his hand to clear the air around him. Izzy had covered his furniture and bed with a white cloth. Magnus bit back his thoughts as he looked around.

There were more than just his memories trapped in there. His nightgown still hung by the stand, and so did one of his jackets that he had discarded the night before Halloween. Right after Alec had taken him to their room after the breakdown. If Magnus looked closely, he could have potentially found stains of kohl dried out on them. Flicking his wrist, Magnus cleaned the room of white covering cloth and dust.

“You didn’t have to”, Alec blinked in surprise. “We’re not going to be staying here anyway”

“Doesn’t mean I can leave either of my homes dirty”, Magnus tilted his head and then swiveled his hand again. “This spell would keep the room clean.”

“Why would we ever need this place?”

“Are you telling me you’re not going to pull all-nighters on your husband?”, Magnus arched a brow. “And when you do... I am going to have to find a way to spend time with you... even if that means I have to sleep in our room here”, he shrugged, as if there was nothing more obvious than that. Alec smiled weakly and looked away as if the tears that had managed to hide away from escape were about to fall again.

Alec collected his clothes, his bow rack and two extra quivers in one corner. He also grabbed a few items from his bathroom and put it with his stuff for Magnus to magic them over to their apartment. As for themselves, it felt like a better idea to walk their way up to Brooklyn Bridge.

…

To choose to walk back home was only ever a seldom choice when you were a warlock. And Magnus Bane at that. But today, today felt like the right time to take in your surroundings and just breathe. Every moment spent with Alec was a memory waiting to be created and a compensation for the years lost between them. It was slightly chilly this time in Brooklyn but the streets were ever-vibrant. Not that it mattered because the both of them were glamoured. Their hands were entangled in each other between them and their shoulders brushed together as they walked through the crowds.

Somewhere during their walk back home, Alec's massive wings had decided to show up. Now they fluttered slightly above them, gently gushing air in their direction to help them walk. Magnus could feel the soft tickles of the feathers and the back of his neck and he wondered if this was Alec's conscious doing or his wings just being the rebel that they were.

They detoured a block away from their loft and took a longer route through the park. This was the one Alec loved spending time in. In one of their adventures back when they were together, Alec had just fallen asleep in Magnus’ lap as the latter sat against the tree, carding his fingers through Alec's hair. It was a short moment away from their hustling life but it had shown them that they could have a normal life if they ever wanted to. “Its been a while since I’ve been here”, Magnus commented. He paused and looked over. Alec’s eyes were fixed at a tree trunk in the far centre of the park by a small lake. “Actually the last time I was here…”

“You were last seen in this park”, Alec mumbled.

Magnus swallowed and looked away. He had spent the night after Halloween wandering around the streets of Brooklyn in a daze after Alec had broken up with him. It was one of the most horrible nights of his life. And in the morning, he had strolled away and run into his father. “How do you–”, he asked. “Were you tracking me Alexander?”

“I wanted to look out for you… discreetly”, Alec admitted. Magnus leaned forward and wrapped his arm around Alec's waist, gently burying his head in his neck. “Magnus, I am so sorry”, Alec gasped, feeling the pain of letting Magnus go and their breakup all over again.

“Alexander”, Magnus placed his palm over Alec's beating heart and sighed. “…it’s in the past”, he reiterated. The wings, previously fluttering behind Alec closed in on him, tightening around Magnus’ chest. “in a weirdly morbid way, we needed to go through what we did to reach where we have right now”, he mumbled.

“You didn’t deserve this pain”

“Neither did you”, Magnus looked up from his husband's chest and dropped his chin on his collarbone.

“I didn’t do…”, he shook his head.

“I disagree”, Magnus interrupted him.

“You don’t even know what I was going to say...”, Alec rolled his eyes.

“Let me guess, you were going to deprecate your own pain and make it seem like nothing”, he chided. Alec shook his head again and smiled. “You suffered just as much... and the feelings and everything... was valid”, he emphasized. “I won’t let you beat yourself up for this for the rest of our lives”, Magnus stated, making his point loud and clear.

“You are amazing”, Alec gasped.

“I know. Now, shall we walk back home?”, Magnus asked.

“Lets just portal”, Alec shrugged.

…

The portal opened in the living room of Magnus’ loft. Alec stepped in first, pulling Magnus with him. The loft was unusually bright and lit. Furrowing his brows, Alec looked around and saw Madzie sitting on the couch in her night clothes. She looked up over the backrest and waved at the two men. This was so... normal.

“Hey Alec”, she screamed. “Hey, Magnus”, she added.

“Madzie?”

“Mom said I could crash in with your people tonight!”, she chirped, rising on her knees to perch up from the backrest of the couch. “Is that ok?”

“It is _more_ than ok!”, Magnus gasped. He sprinted forward to pull the little warlock in a hug.  Madzie giggled, jumping into his arms. “You’ve grown taller than I remember”, the warlock noticed.

“I have”, Madzie concurred. She looked over Magnus’ shoulder and noticed strange white wings behind Alec. “Btw, 'lec”, she called. “Cool wings!”, she winked. Alec chuckled at the recollection of the parallel way back when he had met Madzie and complemented her gills. It was such a long time ago.

The wings twitched hearing Madzie, as if they understood her and then fluttered. Their stance depicted restlessness and panic and Alec wondered if the wings were capable of having their own set of feelings. _Well._ Until 2 days ago, he wasn’t sure of having wings to begin with. So, what did he know? Maybe the wings were cleverer than he had anticipated. His novel organs stunted behind him, making Alec's back straighten with a jerk and then swooshed into thin air.

“Did I just scare them?”, Madzie's eyes were wide open when Alec looked back at her. _Maybe_. Alec wondered. Maybe she did scare them off. “They’re quite shy, your wings!”, the little warlock laughed. Magnus smiled and looked over at his perplexed husband who had one hand stretched back to feel the base of his wings.

“It would seem so?”, Alec murmured in broken words.

“Keep them hidden Alec. I am sure your serious friends at the Institute won’t like these wings”, Madzie rolled her eyes. That’s what she called the Nephilim kind. Alec’s serious friends.

Magnus barked out a laughter and cupped Madzie's chin to kiss her.

Alec shook his head and reached his kitchen counter. “Icecream?”, he asked.

“As much as I would like it, I am tired, Alec”, Madzie yawned, dropping her chin on Magnus’ shoulder.

“Don’t spoil her, Alexander”, Magnus chided his husband.

“Yeah, don’t spoil me”, Madzie yawned again, this time, closing her eyes.

“Come on. Let’s get you to bed”, Magnus lifted her closer and turned around towards her room. Alec followed them quietly and by the time Magnus deposited her on her bed, she had dozed off. He magiced a fairylight for her and then stepped out of the room, plunging it in darkness.

Alec stopped midway as he realized why this all felt like a déjà vu. They had been in this situation before. Way back when Magnus had lost his magic. This time it was different. Magnus had his magic back. And he was his husband.

He yawned and dropped on the couch and Magnus snuggled next to him. Lifting his hand to cup Alec's face, Magnus leaned forward to kiss him. Alec obliged when he suddenly stepped away.

“What?”, Magnus asked, clearly offended after being denied a kiss.

“Madzie is right across the door”, Alec pointed.

“So, I cannot kiss my husband?”, Magnus towered his brows high enough to reach his hairline.

“I just… what if she walks in on us”, Alec waved his hand. Magnus rolled his eyes and looked away, clearly annoyed when Alec flinched next to him. He released one side of his back from the backrest and out popped his right wing. The wing curled around him and Magnus, creating an invisible wall around them. With its primaries, the wing pushed Magnus closer to Alec.

“Looks like your wings approve me kissing you, darling...”, Magnus joked. The wing fluttered in reaction and lifted slightly up in the air as Magnus leaned into the kiss, locking his lips with his husband's.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey y'all.
> 
> this is it. welcome to chapter 24. I have written quite a few stories on Magnus and Alec in the last two years but none of them have received a response as good as #MFADfic. The last two months have been so exciting and nerve-wrecking at the same time. But, whatever happiness I have felt has been during the time I have written the story or when I read your reactions (including the death threats :P) but thank you for all the love and support you've given this story. I will never forget it. I mean it. 
> 
> Needless to say, I won't stop writing on Malec and I have a very exciting story coming in the next few weeks (depending on whether my friend approves the draft). 
> 
> So, with only love and respect in my heart for all you guys, here we go. 
> 
> Chapter 24.

“You are free to go, Mr Lightwood-Bane. This concludes my panel of tests for now...”, Catarina winked, pulling the last of the patches from Alec’s chest. Alec gave her a smile and stopped the running treadmill. “I will pass on the reports to you by the end of tomorrow. Is that ok? We will see each other for _this..._ in six months’ time!”, she snapped her finger and spun around to give him a little smile.

“Thank you, Cat”, Alec buttoned his shirt up and grabbed his blazer from the table nearby. “I will see you in Mykonos tonight, right?”, he asked her, reaching the door of her infirmary.

“You will! Where are the two of you planning to stay?”, Cat asked, pulling her coat out. She folded it in half and dropped it on her arm, grabbing her handbag.

“Um, I have no clue. That’s Magnus’ department”, Alec chuckled.

“I wouldn’t expect anything different”, she joked, following Alec out into the corridors of the New York Institute. Isabelle and Simon were waiting for them outside. Izzy leaned forward and reached out for her brother. Alec extended his hand and pulled her in an embrace.

“Does everything look ok, Catarina?”, she asked.

“Your brother is still healthy and vibrant as a horse”, Cat assured.

“And still _immortal?_ ”, Simon asked.

“From the looks of it”, Cat nodded. Isabelle shifted under her brother’s arm and plastered a smile on her face. “I will get the official results tomorrow though. But I don’t think they would change a lot from the last time Alec had a check-up”, she offered her input.

“That’s good. As long as he is ok”, Izzy smiled, patting his stomach. “Ok, then? I am going to go and pack... Mykonos is still a go, right?”, she asked.

“it is”, Alec sighed.

“Perfect”, she plastered a smile on her face. Alec knew that he needed to speak with her soon. She was one of the last people to get the hand of Alec's new situation and not that she minded it, there was a part of her that was just scared. Not about his new status as an immortal Shadowhunter, but because it made me him unique. One of his kind. The _only_ of his kind.

_Alec’s immortality._

After Catarina’s initial suspicions, her reports had confirmed that he was immortal. The only thing now left was to monitor growth and development in Alec’s body over a period of time to only confirm what she already knew. She had then disclosed it to the Lightwoods and the Garroways five days after she had told Magnus. Everyone had taken their own sweet time to take the news in. Alec himself had taken a while to accept the fact that he wasn’t going to age anymore. The curse that the Greater Demon had cast had meant to destroy him, but something had changed. It was either Magnus’ healing spell in Edom overlapping his father’s magic or just a dent in Asmodeus’ power. The curse had found a loophole. After the curse had destroyed Alec’s angelic core, the Shadowhunter’s connection to his Parabatai had sparked an unusual healing process that had been initiated by the Angels themselves. The family was yet to figure out why. This healing had revamped Alec’s body with his new core powering the whole of Alec’s self, pushing his mundane component back to one corner. This new power had invigorated him, given new power to his organs and cells. The connection that he had failed to sever with Jace had sucked his power to activate runes without a stele into Alec, depriving the former of the same. Now, both Jace and Alec had an angelic connection but only Alec could self-activate his runes.

Despite what Alec had expected, Jace had been honest and positive about the whole situation. In fact, he had been very encouraging of this new phase of Alec’s life. Both the brothers had trained together to overcome this new strain in their relationship. Their Parabatai bond was stronger than it had ever been. And because of their shared connection to the Angel, they now had the ability to share and dissipate their powers and strengthen themselves as fighters on the field. This connection to the Angel was also why Alec now had control over his wings. He could take them out whenever he wanted.

A Nephilim was programmed to be half-angelic, and therefore, legends said that ancient Shadowhunters were also equipped with these means to fly. Over time, these organs had become vestigial in the present cohort of Shadowhunters. But, Clary had once used her angelic rune to suffocate her brother Jonathan to death. She had been able to channel her angelic wings using her created runes. That power coupled with Alec’s ability to activate runes (even the ones he never had) had been the reason of this sudden appearance of his massive golden wings. And afterall, he didn’t mind. With some weeks of practice, Alec had gotten better with controlling them. Like Magnus had suspected, his wings had a self-conscience. They could feel independently as well as dependently of Alec. And, because of how Alec had married Magnus right before the angelic core took over Alec’s body, the wings responded to his immense emotions for Magnus. The wings loved his husband. And Alec wasn’t surprised. Anyone who got to know Magnus would have loved him just as much.

But immortality also came with a bitter truth. Alec was not going to age. He was stuck at being 23 for the rest of his life – which was ideally, endless. On one hand, he had a promise of an eternal future with his husband. Nothing, and especially not a mortal death, would have separated them. But, his family was still very much mortal. His mother, sister and brothers. They were all ageing. And he wasn’t. Never before, Alec had felt the burden of a gift. A blessing as Catarina and Jace had called it. But the idea that he would lose his entire family one day; that he would be the only one left to tend to all of their graves was an excruciation idea that always ended up making Alec restless. He was torn between the ultimate happiness and ultimate grief and he wasn’t sure if an entire lifetime was enough to bridge the gap. Magnus had been there with him, mentoring him through the process of accepting his new reality but there was a line... that only Alec could have crossed. And alone. Magnus could only wait for him on the other side, hoping that Alec would make it. And even though that moment was still years away from happening, or so he hoped, the fear of losing always lingered at the back of the Shadowhunter’s death.

It had been a tumultuous 12 months, with their first wedding anniversary sliding past them before they could realize. It had been a whole year of marriage. A whole year of togetherness. Alec couldn’t recall the last time he had been so solaced about his life. Every day, he went out to do a job that he loved and then? And _then,_ he came back to the man that he loved above and beyond everything. Magnus was his home – in more ways than one. He was the beginning of his existence and the very end of it.

Magnus was why Alec found it in himself to breathe, to live, to exist.

Magnus was why Alec looked at the world and wondered how beautiful it was. Magnus was why Alec was happy. They had built a home together in his old loft in Brooklyn. Slowly and steadily, as the old saying went, they had mended their broken hearts, and their broken home. They had been there for each other in their lows... and their highs. They had held each other during moments where vulnerability was the only out and the only workable solution.

They had fallen in love with each all over again, one fallen tear at a time.

And they were still healing. Still wounded. But happy. And together. And that was enough for now.

The entire Lightwood and Garroway clan were collecting in Mykonos tonight. There was a wedding happening. A wedding that everyone had anticipated and a wedding that everyone was so excited for. The family had used Magnus’ impeccable social connections to book out an entire beach resort for them. The wedding was RSVP’d by only the closest family and friends. There were the Lightwood-Banes and the Lightwoods, including Robert for some reason, and Clary. There was Simon and Becky on the list... and Cleophas, obviously, alongside Matt, Catarina and Madzie. But there was also Lorenzo and Andrew on the list. Over the last year, the two had become quite close to the Lightwoods and Magnus and Alec.

It was going to be the wedding of the year.

Robert had portaled in this morning along with Max and he was ready to leave for Greece with the others. Cleophas, Matt and Becky had been brought in to the Institute as well. Catarina and Madzie were arriving straight in Mykonos and so were Alec and Magnus, joined by Andrew and Lorenzo. It was set. Now, all that Alec had to do was go back home and listen to his husband talk about the wedding preparation for the umpteenth time. Magnus had taken upon himself to plan the entire wedding. Quite like the man that he was supposed to be.

Alec walked straight into his office and through the doors into the balcony. Night had heavily fallen over New York city. It was the perfect setting for him. Closing his eyes, Alec groaned softly, and his wings flapped out majestically behind him. They lifted themselves in the air to analyze the air pressure and the temperatures. Alec looked over his shoulders and arched his brows. “Ready?”, he asked them. The tips of his wings waved royally, gesturing him that they were born ready. _Drama queens. Both of them._ He ducked on his knees and jumped slightly as the wings flapped, taking him high up in the air.

He had very recently learnt to take flight with his new allies. His shoulder blades oscillated as his wings flapped to gain height, taking him to the upper layers of the stratosphere. It was much colder out here, almost freezing. Alec looked over to his arm and activated a heating rune, immediately warming his body. He lowered his center and leaned forward to gain a streamlined shape as he flew into the clouds and towards his loft.

There was a certain addiction in flying. Alec was invigorated by it. He loved every bit of it. It was powerful and calming. He could forget all his worries and just let the gust of air hit his pale skin, cooling it.

...

Alec ducked down on his balcony, landing swiftly in his home. The curtains were drawn but Alec could see lights from the corners. Magnus was still in the living room and by the looks of it, he was talking rather loudly.

“Oh, hey, hon”, Magnus waved his hand, throwing the curtains to the sides. Alec tilted his head and smiled at the dramatics. His husband stood there, with a thick diary in his hand... _and_ his mother on the couch. His very _stressed_ mother. Alec noticed the crease lines on Maryse’s forehead as he walked into the warmth of his loft. “Did you fly back home?”, Magnus arched a brow, curling his hands around Alec’s arm and pecking his lips lightly.

“Yup”, Alec popped the p.

“Were you careful?”, Magnus squinted his eyes.

“I was”, Alec assured. “It’s not like I wouldn’t heal anyway”, he shrugged.

“Well, we’ve never seen you heal from broken bones... ok? And I would not be interested in testing the theory, darling. So, please, don’t give me heart attack next time? Use Clary’s portal. She’s gotten better with that...”, the warlock chided. Alec rolled his eyes, wrapping his arm around his husband’s waist to pull him closer. Magnus shook his head as he was hustled closer.

“I will keep that in mind”, Alec smiled.

“How was your checkup with Cat?”, Magnus asked, stealing a small kiss on Alec’s cheek. Over the past year, they had gotten more comfortable about showing their affection in front of Maryse.

“Still healthy. Still immortal”, Alec mumbled. Magnus gave him a small and tight-lipped smile – somewhere between happiness and guilt. Alec shook his head, gesturing Magnus to not worry about any of that right now. “Mom? Are you alright?”, he asked. Maryse looked up from a design book with a frown on her face.

“Uh-huh”, she nodded, unconvincingly.

Alec raised his brows and looked at her and then at his husband who just shook his head in defeat. “Mom? What is it?”, he asked her again.

“Alec, the flowers”, she gulped.

“Flowers, what flowers?”, Alec let Magnus go and dropped on his knees in front of his mother. He flipped the book around for himself and then looked back and forth between his husband and Maryse. There was something scribbled in the diary that Alec didn’t understand.

“I ordered carnations, hyacinths and lilies... _and_ white roses. And they just said that they’re out of white roses”, Maryse gulped.

“But we still have the other three?”, Alec asked, placing his palm on his mouth.

“No... but we need white roses!”, Maryse emphasized.

“I mean, Magnus could surely conjure up some white roses for the wedding?”, he suggested, scratching his brow.

“Yeah, yeah but he’s portaling all of us to Greece tonight. He wouldn’t have the magic to conjure up white roses for the entire banquet hall, Alec. It’s not fair”

“She wouldn’t let me even try”, Alec heard Magnus drop on the coffee table with a dramatic thud.

“We also have Catarina and Lorenzo? I can ask them to conjure up some of flowers...”, Alec suggested, clearly noticing her mother's worries.

“I don’t appreciate favours, Alec. You know that?”, Maryse swallowed. “They’re our guests. We cannot put responsibilities on them”, she waved her hand quite dramatically. It made Alec wonder if his mother had been spending too much time with his amazing husband.

“Mum... we can... maybe we can just do without white roses?”, Alec suggested again.

“We can’t. White roses are Luke’s favorite”, Maryse yelled in panic. “They represent love and hope. And we totally cannot do without white roses, that’s it”, she exasperated. Alec pursed his lips as a smile curved on his face. Her mother and Luke. Such an unusual love but oh so beautiful.

“O-okay”, Alec widened his eyes and nodded. “Then, you... you stop crying ok?”, he sighed, lifting his hands to wipe his mother’s face.

“Yeah, yes”, she nodded.

“Why don’t you relax... yes, relax and let _me_ deal with this problem? OK?”, he asked.

“You won’t ask Magnus to exhaust himself?”, she retorted immediately.

“I promise I will not trouble your son-in-law”, Alec shook his head. Maryse looked between the two men and then back at Alec.

“Ok?”

“Ok!”, Alec assured.

“Ok, good!”, Magnus sighed, excitedly. He grabbed the design book from Maryse’s hand and then pulled her up. “Now, you, go and sleep for three hours. You need to. You can’t look exhausted tomorrow!”, Magnus emphasized.

“I will...”, Maryse nodded.

“I have had the guest room stocked up for supplies. Even your stuff is here. Now, go, and sleep. We’ll wake you when we’re ready to go”, he grabbed Maryse’s shoulders and pushed her towards the guest room. Alec crossed his hands on his chest and smiled as he noticed his husband usher his mother into the room.

“Sweet dreams, Maryse”

“Thank you, Magnus”, Alec heard his mother say as the warlock shut the door and dropped his head on it. He took a moment for himself and then turned around, heading to their own room to stretch for a while before they portaled to the wedding location.

“Busy day?”, Alec asked, following Magnus.

“Uh-hmm”, Magnus nodded, sniffing tiredly. “But I suddenly feel very energetic”, he winked.

“Does it have to do with a certain tall and dark Shadowhunter you know?”, Alec reached out, grabbing Magnus’ hand and pulling him straight into his arms. Magnus yelped, lifting his hands onto Alec’s shoulders and laughing.

“Oh, you mean my husband?”, Magnus asked.

“Do you know more than one tall and dark Shadowhunter?”, Alec deadpanned.

“I mean... I do know a lot of your kind. But no one makes me smile the way you do”, he nudged his chin, poking Alec’s nose with his own.

“Did you just save yourself?”, Alec teased, swirling them around on their feet.

“Save myself from who, you?”, Magnus gasped, feigning offence. “I don’t need to, my love”, he booped their noses together again. “The real question is, what are you going to do about the fact that I have missed you so much. 5 days is an awfully long time to go on without kisses and snuggles.”, he wiggles his brows.

“Have you?”, Alec tilted his head. “missed me?”

“Babe”, Magnus groaned.

“Hon”, Alec emphasized. Magnus frustratingly looked away and grumped his face up, amusing Alec. The Shadowhunter chased his husband's lips and bent to kiss him when Magnus pulled further away in annoyance. He pushed his palm against his husband’s chest and freed himself from Alec's hold, spinning around to leave the room when Alec's magnificent companions sneaked out of his back, blocking Magnus' way to his room.

“Alexander, take them back”, Magnus huffed, rolling his eyes.

“This was _them…_ ”, Alec laughed. Magnus looked up at the two flaps and slapped them slightly. “ _Boo_ get out of my way”, he ordered. The left wing protested, nudging it’s way closer. “You’re being as stubborn as Alexander. _Gorgeous,_ let me go please. I can’t be there around your owner right now”, he turned to Alec’s right wing.

“I cannot believe that you’ve nicknamed my limbs”, Alec rubbed a palm down his face.

“I am delighted to know that my nicknames are the topmost concern for my husband right now.”, Magnus tauntingly clapped. “Love it for myself. But also, just ask them to move out of my way”, he rolled his eyes.

“They have become better at listening to what my heart wants”, Alec mumbled. He walked over and placed his hands on the cups of Magnus’ shoulders, relaxing his tensed muscles.

“I don’t think so”, Magnus flipped Alec's hands away from his body and stepped forward when Alec grabbed his waist and pulled him back, hitting his back against his chest. Magnus gasped as he felt arms tighten around his waist. _Boo_ and _Gorgeous_ fluttered, disappearing behind Alec. “I fuckin' knew it!! You made them do this. Alexander, please...”, Magnus huffed. Alec pressed his cold lips against the nape of Magnus’ neck and left a kiss. The warlock hissed out a breath and closed his eyes.

“I didn’t”, Alec mumbled. His warm breath ticked Magnus’ skin, raising his hair.

“You just admitted to not missing me”, Magnus was still very pissed. “I mean…I am a fool, right. My husband decides to go on a 5-day meeting to Idris, without me. And the day he comes back, he goes straight to work without coming home. And then when he comes home, you realize he hasn’t even missed you”, Magnus blurted out, sounding every bit dramatic as the last TV show he binged.

Alec widened his eyes, gasping at the array of complaints from his husband. “That… is quite a lot… actually, you’re right.”, Alec teased. He trailed his lips to the back of Magnus’ ear and placed a kiss there, eliciting a moan from the warlock. Groping for the first button on Magnus’ shirt on his chest, Alec worked his way opening every button thereafter until he could feel his soft skin beneath his own. Magnus flinched as the cold skin of Alec's arm touched his abdomen.

“Alexander, your mother”, he gasped when Alec pulled Magnus’ head back to rest on his own shoulder. He grabbed the lapels of his shirt and pulled it down, baring Magnus’ shoulder. The warlock clenched his jaw as he grabbed the lower ends of his shirt, holding it around his abdomen – a feeble attempt at covering his bare torso. Alec pressed his lips on one of his shoulder blades and trailed kisses wherever he could find warm skin. Magnus breathed out of his mouth, his throat drying up. “Alexander… we should… we should…”, he swallowed thickly. Their room was a few feet away from them and they had their back to the guest room. Magnus opened his eyes and took another breath. They really needed to take this inside the room. He pulled out of Alec's hold and spun around on his heels.

“What!”, Alec teased. His lips were pink and swollen with the kissing and his hair was a mess.

“The bedroom”, Magnus indicated with a tilt of his head.

Alec sniffed, moving a hand through his hair. He gave him a lopsided grin and covered the distance between him and Magnus, trapping his lips in his own and cupping his jaws in his hand. He pushed them both back towards the room, moaning between their kisses. Magnus fingered his way to the hem of Alec's shirt, pulling it out of his jeans. He unbuttoned it all the way down and removed it, throwing it over their recliner. They reached the edge of their bed and dropped, Alec landing right over Magnus. Alec was still rather cold from his aerial mode of commute back from work and Magnus felt goosebumps as he landed on him. He clenched his jaw as he realized that if they did not stop now, he was going to have a peak right before they had to portal. And that wasn’t an option. Not today. “We can’t”, Magnus gasped as Alec moved his lips away from his mouth and kissed him all the way down to his chest. “We need to get ready to portal”, he moaned, carding his hands through Alec's hair.

Alec parted his lips and took a mouthful of Magnus’ jaw in. “Later”, he whispered. “It has been five days since I kissed you...”, he added. Magnus smiled, tilting his head to one side to give Alec access to his neck. He dug his head in the pillow, closing his eyes, and nodded. “I missed you, Magnus...”, Alec whispered. Magnus opened his eyes and turned to look at Alec. The Shadowhunter was staring at him, his hazel eyes boring into him.

“Hmm?”, Magnus hummed, a question being asked in that tone of his.

“Is that even a question?”, Alec teased, raising himself on his elbows next to Magnus.

Magnus shrugged, looking away. Alec sighed, using his finger to turn Magnus’ chin towards him. “Look at me?”, he winked. “I”, he mumbled, kissing Magnus’ cheek with a very loud kiss. “miss...”, he leaned to kiss his other cheek. “you”, Alec kissed Magnus’ forehead. “every moment”, he lowered himself to peck the bridge of Magnus’ nose. “I spend...”, he reached further down to his chin. “without you...”, Alec smiled, locking their lips together.

Magnus moaned against their lips, rubbing his fingers up to Alec’s neck.

...

Panic set in the Lightwood-Bane loft as soon as the clock struck 8. They should have portaled half an hour ago, but they were running late. Maryse sat on the couch, tapping her feet nervously and Alec and Magnus rushed around the house, arranging things. They were also waiting for Lorenzo and Andrew to get Matt to their house so that Magnus could activate a portal. He had already sent the gifts and the luggage to the beach hotel in Mykonos and Catarina and Madzie had confirmed receiving them on the other end.

“Alec, we should get going”, Maryse repeated, rubbing her knees.

“Almost done, Mom. Matt is back from his tennis practice. Lorenzo and Andrew would be here with him anytime now”, he got off the phone with Underhill. Magnus pulled the last of their bags into the living room and sighed, wiping fake sweat from his forehead dramatically. Alec shook his head and scoffed. Part of the reason they were late because they had to shower before coming out of the room. Their makeout session had converted into a full blown orgasm and it was inevitable for them to bathe before they could appear in front of their mother.

“It’s Lucian, Clary is portaling them to Mykonos now. Alec, we’re late”, Maryse panicked.

“Mom, calm down”, Alec and Magnus responded in chorus. Magnus widened his eyes and then stopped. He had never called Maryse as _mom._ In his heart, he respected her like a mother... but he never had. Maryse looked up from her lap and a small smile appeared on her lip. But if she knew Magnus well, the guy wouldn’t be comfortable talking about it and so she let it go.

“You need to hurry. Both of you”, she pointed out.

“Almost done”

“We’re here”, Matt announced his entry as a portal opened into the living room. Magnus sighed in relief as the Shadowhunter rushed to hug him and Alec. He swiveled his hand and created a portal to Mykonos.

“Let’s go”, Magnus chimed.

...

The banquet hall was engulfed in a little darkness as the music started playing. Alec could see Lorenzo standing in the center of the altar, waiting for the bride and the groom. Straightening his own coat, Alec took a breath and turned around. It was time for Jace and Clary to walk down the aisle and take their positions at the bride and groom’s ends. He saw the redhead appear from behind the curtain and hook her hand in his brother’s. She had been crying. Her puffed eyes were a testament to that. With a slight nod, Alec gestured them to go ahead.

Andrew gently gestured the choir to start playing as Jace and Clary took a walk down the aisle. They were both dressed in shades of maroon and dark brown. Isabelle and Simon assembled behind him, ready to follow Jace and Clary out. They walked out swiftly, and Alec saw Cleophas arrive with Luke. The man looked every bit dapper as the groom. He shook hands with Alec and nervously fidgeted with his coat as the waited for their cue. “You’re going to do great, Luke”, Alec mumbled without meeting the former werewolf’s eyes.

“I promise I won’t disappoint your mother”, Luke assured. Alec gave him a nod and they walked out, making everyone stand up for the groom. Luke took his position at the altar and took a deep breath. Alec wondered if this is what it would have felt like to walk down the aisle and wait for the man he was going to spend the rest of his life married to. Him and Magnus hadn’t had this ceremony. They’d been married on Alec’s deathbed and Alec sometimes wondered if this was something that Magnus had missed out on. That _he_ had missed out on.

Something rustled behind him and he turned to find his mother standing just next to the door. Alec gasped when he saw her. She wore a beautiful mermaid cut high-neck gown with tulle sleeves embroidered with flowers. Her hair was tied up in a lose bun on one side and there was a long veil combed to that bun. His eyes widened at how stunning his mother looked and his visions blurred with tears. Maryse blushed when she noticed the look on Alec’s face and looked away, biting her lower lip.

“Alec”, she whispered.

“You look beautiful, Mom”, Alec commented, shaking his head. Magnus appeared behind her, adjusting the train of her long veil. She looked every bit of the queen she was and deserved to be. Holding his hand to his trembling mouth, Alec let out a wet and tearful laugh, joining her for a second. “Look at you”, he smiled, biting his own lip.

“Alec, you’re making me nervous, sweetheart”, Maryse looked away.

“I am sorry”, Alec sighed. “But you’re so stunning. Are you ready?”, he asked her.

“I am scared, Alec”

“Why?”

“What if I fall!”, she swallowed. Alec paused, his lips curving into a huge grin.

“I won’t let you”, he promised. “Ever”

Maryse nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. Magnus hugged her from back, only lightly holding her. “No tears. You cannot ruin my masterpiece”, he reminded them both. “Come on, Alexander. It’s time to give her away to Luke”, he teased.

Alec nodded, holding out his arm. Maryse hooked her arm with his and stepped out into the hall. Magnus straightened and adjusted the veil behind Maryse as she walked, holding her train for her. The hall was illuminated with scented candles and fairylights. Maryse felt a gush of pride, being escorted to the man she was in love with by her son and son-in-law. Two of the most important people in her life. As she neared the altar, she spotted the rest of her children standing on her side, waiting for her with a bright glow on their faces. Her family. Her eyes deliberately avoided Luke’s because she knew the ground beneath her would slip the moment she looked at him. And she still had a few feet to cover. The soft music of the violin coupled with a sweet song crooned by her son-in-law to be, Simon Lewis was the perfect setting. This was a moment she would never forget for the rest of her life. At the base of the elevated altar, Alec stopped and turned to her. He gave a small kiss on her cheek and then her knuckles before giving her a hug. A hand reached out to her and for the first time she looked at the man she was going to marry. Her husband-to-be. Luke had the brightest smile on his face as Alec ceremoniously gave Maryse's hand in Luke's. “Take care of her, Luke”

“I will, Alec”, Luke nodded, pulling Maryse up on the altar with him. She briefly turned around to hug Jace, Isabelle and Simon before the ceremony began. Alec took his position with the rest of his siblings while Magnus joined Simon and Clary on Luke's side. Lorenzo announced the commencement of the ceremony.

Magnus offered the rings to them when Lorenzo asked. While Luke and Maryse exchanged vows, Magnus and Alec stared right into each other's eyes, repeating their vows in their minds, promising each other a lifetime of companionship. Alec wondered if it would be a good idea for them to wed each other again on their second anniversary, this time will full fledged celebrations and rituals, including every rehearsal dinner and bachelor party that they have missed. As Lorenzo ushered Maryse and Luke towards their first kiss as husband and wife, Magnus and Alec gave each other an assuring nod.

They knew exactly what the other meant.

_I love you._

And they meant it. For now and for ever.

...

The families raised a toast for the newlyweds as they took to the dance floor for their first dance. “I haven’t seen my mother so radiant and happy...”, Alec nudged his husband’s shoulder as the lights dimmed and soft music replaced the loud beats from a few moments ago.

“Maryse Lightwood is a beautiful woman who raised 4 of the best people I jnow… she deserves to be radiant and happy.”, Magnus shrugged, unable to accept that he may have had a hand in the whole ceremony. From picking the venue to the decorations and everyone’s dresses, Magnus had coordinated everything for Luke and Maryse’s wedding. He had also curated a custom honeymoon trip for the two, keeping their tastes in mind.

“And my husband is a tasteful man, so, forgive me if I am a little biased towards his work”, Alec shrugged, lifting the champagne glass to his lips.

“My oh my, Alexander!”, Magnus gasped, placing a palm on his chest for a dramatic gesture. “You flatter me…”, he teased.

“Makes me wonder what our wedding would have looked like if you had had a chance to plan it!”, he looked over, staring Magnus down the length of his body.

“I am sure we can change that at some point”, Magnus shook his head, pulling Alec closer by his waist as they stood side by side. Alec lifted his hand, wrapping it around his husband's back, pulling him close to his chest. Magnus laughed at the gesture, burying his head in Alec's neck.

“We do have forever, don’t we?”, Alec mumbled, pressing his lips to the side of Magnus’ head. Magnus closed his eyes and relaxed against his husband, dropping his weight on him. It was just easy and organic to fall into Alec’s arms, rest assured that the man wouldn’t let him fall.

“Are you certain that you want to spend an eternity with me?”, Magnus looked up. Alec’s eyes were glowing with shades of pink and purple from the disco lights on the dance floor.

“I never had a doubt!”, Alec answered, casually. “I mean sure, it’s a lot of change. From having a limited lifespan to now just an endless continuity…but I would rather spend every waking moment with you than think about my death”, he admitted. They watched Luke twirl Maryse around while she giggled, landing straight back in her new husband's arms. Clary and Jace took to the stage next only for Alec's Parabatai to showcase his exuberant dance skills. Alec eyed Matt as the confident kid asked Catarina to dance with him. It was an extravaganza in there. Until a few years ago, Alec wouldn’t have even imagined being in a tropical island like Mykonos and watching his family be happy and mundane. Just normal. _And_ he would be a part of the celebration with his better half. Alec recalled his boring life as he held out his hand in front of the warlock. “Come on”, he tilted his head, gesturing towards the door.

“Where are we going?”, Magnus grabbed Alec’s hand, following the man out of the hall. “Alexander?”, he asked.

“They don’t need us here anymore”, Alec pulled his husband into the open air, giving him the biggest grin on his face. Magnus stepped on to the sands of the beach, lifting his chin to take a whiff of the sea breeze in the air. It was getting colder as the night progressed, winter arriving in this island of Greece later than usual.

Alec let his hand go and placed some distance between them, taking a few quick steps back towards the waves. He was barefeet now, his shoes toed off at the exit of the resort. Alec grinned, taking a deep breath as his wings flapped out from his back, adjusting to the breeze. Magnus saw the feathers shining their shimmery gold. “Hey beauties”, Magnus greeted the two wings as he tickled Magnus in response, making the warlock giggle. “What are you up to, Alexander?”, he asked. Alec shrugged, turning around to place his back towards Magnus. He lifted his hand and gestured him to come forward.

“Hold me”, he asked.

Magnus smiled, wrapping his arms around Alec’s waist, carefully giving his wings space to flutter. Alec pulled out a body strap, wrapping it around himself and Magnus, holding the warlock against his back. “You’re taking us somewhere?”, Magnus noticed the preparation.

“Uh-huh”, Alec mumbled. He tightened the straps around himself and his husband. “Hold tight, honey”, he teased, ducking down to gain the momentum. With a soft jump, he threw himself in the air and his wings flapped, making strong gusts of wind, hoisting them off the ground. Magnus closed his eyes and tightened his hold around Alec’s neck as they flew higher up, crossing the cloud cover and reach the very edge of the stratosphere.

“I can never get used to this feeling”, Magnus hissed. He shivered as the freezing temperatures around him chilled him to his bone. Snapping his fingers, he enveloped himself and Alec in a warm cloud and finally opened his eyes to admire the view. There was something about this feeling. Alec had very recently started taking Magnus out on night flights over New York, but they had never attempted this out of their home skies. Now, Alec was flying over Mykonos and the ocean surrounding it, heading in an unknown direction.

The wings had stopped flapping and they were now gliding softly against the air pressure. Magnus gently placed his fingertips on the feathers of both sides of his wings one by one. He knew they had a mind of their own. They were alive. And they responded to him. Six months into the wedding, Magnus had christened them both. _Boo_ and _Gorgeous._ Alec hated the cheesy nicknames, but he knew better than to argue with his husband about it.

“What if your mother and Luke notice that we’re gone?”

“I told them I am whisking you away for the rest of the week!”, Alec shrugged. He groaned softly and flapped his wings, taking them a little higher to avoid the thunder clouds that they were approaching.

“Who knew Alec Lightwood would be such a romantic?”, Magnus rolled his eyes.

“I guess you always did!”, Alec teased him back.

“Well, true”, Magnus tilted his head. He lowered himself firmly on Alec’s back as they glided through the clouds.

…

**[somewhere in the Scandinavian mountains]**

“Remind me to pack some anti-emetics next time”, Magnus held his stomach as he gagged. He hated flying. And open-air flights, more so. Alec laughed, shoving his phone in his pocket. “I am throwing up in the middle of the Scandinavian mountains. How brilliantly aesthetic of me!”, he threw his hands in the air dramatically.

“You’re going to be fine”, Alec rubbed his back, pacifying his rumbling stomach. “Here, pop a mint”, Alec held out a candy in his hand.

“I am still wrapping my head around the fact that the _most-Nephilim_ man I know is fond of mint candies”, Magnus dramatacized, taking the candy from his husband.

He straightened up, legs firmly in the bed of snow and Alec wrapped a thick jacket around him. It was cold, freezing here. They were on a mountain somewhere in Scandinavia, surrounding by pine trees and snowclad peaks. And right in the middle of nowhere was a cosy cabin lit in yellow.

“Welcome to our getaway home”, Alec whispered, wrapping a warm arm around Magnus' collarbone. Magnus dropped his chin and pressed a kiss on the back of Alec's hand. They walked up to the portico and he noticed a name plate hanging outside. _Magnus and Alec Lightwood-Bane._

“This is ours?”, Magnus gasped, feeling the bronze engraving of their names.

“It is”, Alec informed. He unlocked the door and pushed it open. “Maia helped me with it. She knew someone… Who knew someone else, and they knew how to acquire a cabin out here. Needless to say, I had to do it…”, Alec switched the lights on as they stepped inside. The cabin looked fully functional. Alec must have come in to prepare it for a fitting welcome. The fridge was stocked with fruits and vegetables, some frozen items and condiments. There was a tiny bar in one corner stocked with all of Magnus’ favorite mixes. The fireplace was up and running and there was sweet smell of cherry and strawberries in the air from the candles lit on the kitchen counter.

“When did you plan all of this?”, Magnus gleamed, walking around to inspect their little home away from home.

“Oh just while you were busy planning my mother's happiest day”, Alec shrugged. The pulled their jackets out and hung it on the coat rack. It was one of the cosiest places Magnus and Alec had been in and the Shadowhunter was proud to have executed his plan to the T. He sat down on his knees next to the fireplace to poke chopped wood and air some sparks into the fire. The warmth from the flames was relaxing in the chilly weather. He choked on his swallow when Magnus' hands slipped around his neck, undoing the bowtie tied around. He pulled the undone tie out and then unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt.

Alec grinned as he felt a hand around his waist, hauling him slightly off his feet and then a sloppy kiss on his cheek. Magnus was still under the influence of the three glasses of champagne and all the martinis, but he absolutely didn’t mind this outpour of love. He swiftly dropped on his ankles as Magnus climbed onto his thighs, cupping his jaws. He carded his fingers through the hair behind his ears and then bent down to catch those lips for a surprise. Alec closed his eyes and reciprocated the gesture. There was something rhythmic about their kisses. If given a chance, they could kiss to a perfectly composed beat. “You are the best man I know, Alexander Lightwood”, Magnus mumbled as they parted to take a breath. He worked his way to two other buttons of Alec's shirt and pulled it roughly off his shoulders to bare a portion of his torso, only up to his collarbone. He moved down the length of Alec's throat to reach his chest and planted a few toothy kisses here and there. Alec groaned as Magnus pulled his hair shafts. He reached the buckle of Magnus’ belt to undo it and pulled his dress pants down with much difficulty until his bare butt squeezed out of them and landed on his thighs.

“Alexander…”, Magnus whispered against his husband’s ear, running a shiver down the latter's spine. “Alec…your pants”, he reminded. Magnus placed some distance between him and Alec and undid the buttons of Alec's pants. Alec swiftly jerked himself up and pulled the pants down, only enough to do the deed. “Oh, fuck, already”, Magnus gasped, as he felt Alec against his abdomen. He turned himself around with his butt against Alec's groin and threw his neck on his shoulder.

Alec breathed out air in Magnus’ ear and found his way around the warlock's member. Magnus was just as hard as he was. He curled his fingers around it and stroked, only gently at first. “Alec”, Magnus groaned again, this time in annoyance. “Faster, my love”, he swallowed, stroking Alec's arms to encourage him. “Faster, Alexander”, Magnus screeched. Alec wrapped his other arm around his chest and kissed his neck while stroking Magnus’ members gently within his fingers.

“So beautiful”, Alec teased, taking the bottom of Magnus’ earlobe within his teeth.

“Stop… talking”, Magnus hissed. Their bodies fell into a rhythm soon thereafter. Magnus dug his footpads on the carpet in front of the fireplace and clenched his jaw. He could feel the build up inside him. He could feel it coming. “Alexander… fuck”, he yelled, gesturing him to continue stroking and kissing him at the same time.

“Magnus…”, Alec whispered, realizing the excitement building up in his husband. He dropped his other hand down to his thigh and squeezed it, gently making patterns on his skin. Magnus moaned his next breath and closed his eyes. He curled his free hand around Alec's wrist and squeezed hard as he felt the pressure build up in his groin.

“I am… I am…” Magnus swallowed as words gave up on his tongue. He clenched his jaw, taking a moment of excitement before emptying himself on his thighs and the wooden floor.

...

Magnus walked out of the bedroom with a towel stuck to his hair. Alec was in the kitchen, flipping something on the pan. He had his pajamas hung loosely over his hips and nothing on his chest. His hair still dripped wet from the shower and the entire living room smelled of his cologne.

“A flight, sex _and_ good food in one night?”, Magnus dropped his elbows on the kitchen counter, placing his chin on his palms. “To what do I owe this unexpected holiday”, he teased, pulling a bowl of cherries towards him.

“Can’t I do something nice for my husband?”, Alec feigned offence. The oven beeped at the very instance and Alec picked up his mittens, turning his back to whatever expression Magnus gave him.

“You could? But I smell treason…”, Magnus teased. He raised his chin in the air to take in the smell of the freshly baked pasta.

“We couldn’t do anything for our first anniversary, so I thought we could spend a whole week here away from everything.”, Alec shrugged.

“In wilderness?”, Magnus gasped. Alec rolled his eyes and picked up a remote. He pressed a button and one of the cabinets opened. There was a hidden Comms device with a rune on it.

“Of course not”, Magnus shook his head.

“I have left them instructions that only in the event of a apocalypse, should I be called. They can use Jace or Isabelle in my absence.”, he emphasized. Spreading a table mat on the kitchen counter, Alec placed two dishes on it and then served baked pasta for him and Magnus.

“Sounds ominous”, Magnus winked. He grabbed a fork from the cutlery stand and dug it in the melted cheese. “Rest in peace my dear abs”, he sighed before stuffing his mouth with the dish.

“We did enough cardio today. I am sure your abs are going to survive.”, Alec laughed.

“Sure”, Magnus chuckled. “This is so good… so good”, he hummed, stuffing his mouth with a fork full of pasta. Alec settled on the chair next to his husband and pulled the dish to himself. “But there is also something I wanted to inform you too!”, he shrugged.

Magnus swallowed, gently putting the fork on the plate and giving him a small and encouraging smile to begin with. Alec wiped his face with a cloth and then looked up, gazing right into his husband's eyes. “There’s a reason Jia called me to attend the 5-day induction in Idris”, he told him.

“I wouldn’t be surprised”, Magnus grinned.

“In the light of our involvement in righting the wrongs of Asmodeus and Lilith and everything the Institute did under my governance, the Clave is offering me a promotion”, he told Magnus. “You might be looking at the new Inquisitor for the Clave”, Alec's lips curved into a smile, more like a grin, and brightened.

“Alexander!!”, Magnus gasped, hopping out of the chair to pull him in his arms. “Oh, I am so proud of you! This is incredible! You are incredible!!”, he chuckled as Alec happily hauled him off his feet for a semi-twirl. “If there is anyone that deserves this, it’s you!”, He pulled away, placing both his hands on Alec’s shoulder. The happiness on Alec's eyes, and the excitement was contagious. He took a moment to understand the underlying tone of the situation. And that’s how the smile vanished from his face. The position meant moving to Alicante. And even if the Downworlders could move in and out of the city, they sure as hell couldn’t live there. That wasn’t the catch.

“What is it?”, Alec hooked up his finger below Magnus’ chin.

“When do you have to give them an answer?”, Magnus plastered a smile on his face and hoped that Alec would buy into the fake happiness that he had put on.

“By Monday”, Alec sighed.

“What are you waiting for?”, Magnus questioned, pulling away from Alec and grabbing his food again.

“I couldn’t have decided on anything without having a word with you. You’re my husband”, Alec deadpanned, taking his seat back on the kitchen island. He was a little thrown-off by Magnus’ sudden change in mood.

“I am ok with whatever you are ok with. Your happiness is what matters to me”, Magnus took another bite full of pasta.

“I know. Anyway. I am going to give them a response by Monday. And then we can figure out the rest of it”, he added. “I am going to have to leave the Institute in capable hands. Izzy or Jace. And then transfer all the security checks. That would… take about a week or so”

“You’ll be free to join the office by the beginning of December”, Magnus added.

“Yeah, that would give us time to figure out our other arrangements”, Alec nodded. _Right._ Magnus thought. They would have to have permanent portals established so that Alec could visit him anytime. They would have to keep some spare clothes in New York and stuff like that.

“I am happy for you, Alexander”, Magnus reached out with his hand. Alec curled his own with Magnus' hand and nodded, bending down to kiss the back of his palm.

…

Magnus stood up, taking both his and Alec’s empty dishes to the sink. Alec had excused himself to go and chop some woods for the fireplace. Magnus had asked if he could have heated up the room with his magic, but Alec had insisted on spending the whole night without runes, wings or magic. Magnus could hear chopping sounds from outside their cabin. Other than that, it was a numbing silence. Magnus dropped the dishes in the sink with a loud clank and closed his eyes. _Inquisitor Alec Lightwood-Bane._ Magnus couldn’t have been prouder of Alec if he tried. But he also couldn’t silence the growing pit in his stomach. Alec was moving to Idris. In less than a month’s time, they were going to move apart from each other. Who knew for what amount of time!

He hated himself for not telling Alec that he was not ok. That he was sinking in his own worries. But he couldn’t have dampened Alec’s excitement, could he have? _Nope._ He had seen the brightness in his favorite hazels a few minutes ago when he had told him about the promotion. He couldn’t have taken that glow away from those eyes. Alec knew what that promotion meant for them. He must have thought about it before he agreed to take on the position. And if his career was what Alec wanted to put above everything else, then who was he to stop him. He had vowed to help Alec rise to his greatest heights. And he would. Even if he had to harden his heart and let Alec chase his dreams alone in Alicante. After all, it could be temporary. Alec could always portal in during weekends. That was that.

However, every justification in the world couldn’t explain the outpour of tears from his eyes. Magnus squeezed his eyes shut and collapsed on the wooden frame of the kitchen floor. He was surrounded by kitchen cabinets all around him. Holding his knees up to his chest, he breathed out. Alec couldn’t have seen him like this. He couldn’t have let refuse the position of the Inquisitor because Magnus wasn’t strong enough.

“Stop”, he scolded himself, wiping roughly at his nose. He hadn’t had an anxiety attack in weeks. Magnus had almost started believing that he was doing ok now. That the events of the last two years had finally left his mind. But now this. Throwing his head back against the wooden cabinet, Magnus groaned in agony. This pit in his stomach and the pain in his chest had to go away. Alec had just entered the cabin. He could hear his husband dropping chopped wood in the fireplace. “Stop”, Magnus hissed at himself again.

“Magnus, are you changing?”, he heard Alec call his name out. Oh, his voice. His deep voice. Magnus wanted Alec to come and pull him out of this mess but he couldn’t even make himself utter a word out of his mouth. “Magnus?”, Alec called out again, receiving no response the first time. This was immediately followed by footsteps approaching the kitchen and Magnus knew Alec was going to see him like this. He stretched himself, trying to stand straight up but his muscles wouldn’t obey him. Alec stopped at the other end of the kitchen island when be noticed Magnus perched up against one corner. It took him only one more second to rush and skid next to him, holding his knees.

“Hey”, he called out, squeezing his kneecaps. Magnus looked up from his knees and managed to plaster a smile on his face. “Oh, by the Angel. How long have you been sitting here?”, he asked. Magnus opened his mouth to respond but he couldn’t. So he just leaned against the wooden cabinet and closed his eyes instead. Alec stood up again and poured a glass of water for Magnus. “Hey, take this…”, Alec instructed, pressing the glass against Magnus’ palm. Magnus swallowed, before lifting the glass to his lips and empty the contents.

Alec took the empty glass from him and wiped the tears from Magnus' cheeks before grabbing his wrists to pull him up on his feet. “We should probably rest”, he suggested. Magnus nodded, carding his fingers through Alec's. The bedroom was a cosy space in the cabin with only a foot space around the bed to move. The bed, massive and comfy, overlooked a French window and Magnus momentarily thought that it would make for a very good morning view. Changing into a light pair of pajamas, Magnus crawled into the bed next to Alec, dropping himself on his husband without another word.

“What happened?”, Alec asked, hesitantly.

“I am clearly not over the whole Asmodeus fiasco, I guess. Don’t worry... I was just... just... I just had flashbacks of our... forget about it Alexander!”, Magnus joked, lying to Alec on his face.

“Were you alone for very long before I found you?”, he asked, gently massaging Magnus’ arm.

“No… no, I wasn’t. You never let me go through something like this for a very long time”, Magnus sighed. He took a deep breath, inhaling the light mix of cologne and deo from the nape of his neck.

“And I will never. I am always going to be there with you”, Alec assured him. “Forever”

“Forever is an awfully long time, Alexander”, Magnus swallowed thickly.

“It is. Can I turn the lights off? Are you going to be ok?”, Alec mumbled. Magnus mumbled a quiet _yes._ He crumpled the fabric of Alec’s shirt within his fist and closed his eyes. Alec turned the lights off and drew the curtains, plunging the room in absolute darkness. “It’s a good thing that I get to spend every moment of _that forever_ with you”, he added. Pulling the duvet over both their shoulders, Alec snuggled against his husband.

 _But you won’t, Alexander._ Magnus’ mind reeled with the thoughts of their future. _You will go to Idris and build your life the way you dreamt. And I won’t stop you._ Magnus promised himself, tightening his arms around his husband's waist. “What if you cannot spend it with me…”, he asked.

“What do you mean?”, Alec replied, instantly.

“What if you just…years down the line, just get over me, you know. Realize you don’t love me anymore... or something”, he joked, his anxiety peeking out of his heart in ways Magnus didn’t even realize until now.

“Youre not a fling, Magnus. You’re not just _any_ guy I met... and married. You are the love of my life.”, Alec sighed.

“I know, darling. But eternity is longer than you can possibly imagine. It’s normal for people… things to just grow apart with time...”, he shrugged, bitterly.

“I agree… and _taking_ advice from someone much more experienced than me, I will be by your side for as long as you’ll have me. As long as you will allow me your companionship”, Magnus closed his eyes as he felt a kiss on his forehead in the dark. “We should go to sleep I think. It’s late and you need to rest”, he mumbled next.

Magnus nodded, relaxing on his husband’s chest. He had a few more days of this. So, he better make memories while he had the chance. “I love you”, he heard Alec rasp a few minutes later.

“Love you too, Alexander”, Magnus smiled.

…

Magnus woke up alone in their bed and realized that he had slept almost through the whole morning. Stretching himself on the bed, he noticed the pounding headache from the crying session last night and groaned, lazily stretching under the warm covers. Alec was probably outside because Magnus could hear some commotion. A minute later, the warlock sat up and rubbed his eyes to remove the sleepiness on them.

He walked out into the living room and found a tray of breakfast waiting for him along with a note. _Good morning._ Magnus smiled as he settled on a high-chair, grabbing a knife and fork. There was bacon and sausages, a poached egg, toast and jam and orange juice for him. A traditional breakfast that Alec often loved pampering him with. Magnus also picked up his phone and dialled his husband.

“You are up”, Alec chimed as soon as he picked up. Magnus scoffed at the delight in his voice and rolled his baggy eyes.

“And you’re not here”, Magnus whined.

“I am out to shop for groceries. Should be back in the next 15 minutes. Do you want anything from the stores here?”, he asked.

“Just my husband back, please”, Magnus licked his lip and teased. He felt much better this morning. Of course, Alec was still leaving for Alicante, but he knew it was the right decision to let Alec take the position up.

“That is really sweet”, Alec mumbled on the other side.

“Stop talking to me and hurry back”, Magnus laughed, falling in love with Alec's voice all over again.

“You’re the one who called me?”, Alec gasped. Magnus pictured him dramatically placing a palm on his chest for effect.

“And I am asking you to come back now. I am hanging up, bye”, Magnus kissed the receiver before he cut the call. Laughing softly, Magnus focused on the delicious breakfast in front of him. He could still see snowflakes falling from the sky outside. It was such a beautiful escape from their messy and fast lives. No threat of demon attacks and no Institute to run. He scrolled through his phone and checked the images Isabelle had shared on their family group. It was from the after-party that they had missed because of this trip to the Scandinavian peaks. Maryse and Luke had informed them 40 minutes ago that they had boarded their flight to Barbados. One of the first stops for the newlywed couple.

He finished his orange juice by the time Alec entered the cabin, holding two bags of groceries. He was covered in a long and thick jacket, a beanie and a muffler to counter the cold outside. So much for not using a thermostable rune. “That is a lot of purchase”, Magnus gasped, grabbing one of the bags from Alec.

“Did you see the groupchat?”, Alec asked, taking the items out one by one.

“About your mother's flight? I did”, Magnus answered, assisting Alec in arranging the groceries. The Shadowhunter was weirdly quiet during the whole thing which made Magnus wonder if there was something going on inside his head. He furrowed his brows and noticed that he was avoiding actively looking into his eyes.

“Alexander, is something the matter?”, Magnus asked, unable to control his doubts. Alec shook his head and refused with a hum. “Clearly there is. Talk to me?”

“I am an asshole”, Alec mumbled.

“Excuse me?”, Magnus arched his brows and crossed his hands on his chest.

“I am a blatant asshole”, he repeated, standing up from the freezer door. “I have been so obsessed with my promotion that I forgot to ask how _you_ feel about everything.”, he threw his hands in the air and then fisted the kitchen counter. Magnus’ smile vanished away but he maintained his composure.

“You did”, he lied.

“I did not, and you know it!”, Alec raised his hand to stop Magnus from deflecting from their conversation.

“You asked me about my say and honestly, Alexander, why will I ever come in the way of your success?”, Magnus tried to joke.

“Yes, you won’t. But, if I am going to expect you to relocate to Idris with me…you need to ok with that decision too. It’s not a 5-day. It’s a fucking relocation to a city that you grew up hearing the worst things about”, Alec groaned. He pulled the bar stool and dropped his butt on it. Magnus gasped when he heard that. _Relocating_ to Idris. Alec did say relocating to Idris. He felt small tears sting his eyes as he covered his face with his palm, rubbing it down to his neck and then cupping his own throat.

“Alexander? Are you saying we’re _both_ moving to Idris?”, Magnus asked.

Alec looked up from his hand and frowned. “Of course. I am not going there alone, certainly?”, he pointed out. Magnus scoffed. Proper tears welled up in his eyes and his vision blurred. He paused, and then arched both his brows as he realized what Magnus meant.  “Wait, did you think I was going to leave you alone?”, he asked. Magnus lowered his chin and looked away, softly nodding. Alec sighed at his answer and pulled Magnus closer, trapping the man between his legs. “Is that why you had an attack last night?”, he gasped, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Magnus swallowed, taking a rather long breath. He wrapped his arms around himself and closed his eyes. Alec lifted his hands and curled his palm around both his elbows, using his fingerpads to caress his skin. “…you still agreed?”, he added.

“I vowed. I am always going to be your biggest cheerleader, Alexander”, Magnus lifted his shoulders and gave him a smile.

“And you are! Which is why I made it very obvious to Jia Penhallow that the only situation in which I take this position up, is when _you_ are going to be by my side”, he shrugged. Magnus shook his head and cradled Alec's face between both his hands. “In fact, she offered me a separate residence for you and me but I kind of… _may_ have told her that we’re going to bringing our loft to Idris if I take the job up”, he closed one eye. Magnus barked out a teary laugh and kissed Alec on his cheeks one by one. “So? Is Idris still a yes?”

“If I say no?”, Magnus furrowed his brows. “You know what... ignore it. It was a stupid question to ask”, he raised his palm and waved it.

“Then I will turn the job down”, Alec shrugged, answering anyway.

“You’d do that for me?”, Magnus gasped. He was surprised that Alec’s answer had effect on him.

“I could die for you, Magnus”, Alec deadpanned. Magnus clenched his jaw at the painful recollection and looked away. “…but to answer your question, yes. I would. You. Us. _This_... means the world to me. _You..._ mean the world to me. Hell, you _are_ my world, honey...”, Alec pointed back and forth between him and Magnus. “And not even my job can take that away from me”, he shrugged.

“I–”, Magnus gasped. “I don’t know what to say to you...”, he added.

“Let’s be honest here. Both _Boo_ and _Gorgeous_ won’t let me live if I ever decide something as stupid as moving to Idris alone, you know. So it’s not just me who needs you in my life.”, Alec raised his palms in air in a dramatic surrender.

“You called them by their nicknames. I feel like I have finally accompalished something in my _very_ long life...”, Magnus widened his eyes, impressed by his husband.

“Don’t get used to it!”, Alec breathed out. “Those nicknames just inflate their egos”

“You’re talking about your limbs, Alexander”, Magnus popped his eyes out and feigned offence for the two wings. “I love you two. Don’t listen to him, you guys...”, Magnus teased, talking to the wings that were safely inside Alec right now.

Alec flinched very softly, and the wings snapped out, wrapping Magnus in a cocoon. Something they had gotten quite fond of.  “I love you”, Magnus added after another minute.

“As I love you”, Alec agreed. He adjusted himself to make space for the back muscles that attached his wing to his body.

“Forever?”, he asked.

 

> “ _Forever. And whatever comes next..._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whatever comes next, right?  
> Until the time I am back with a story, you can find me in the comments section here or on Twitter. (@aliaawrites)
> 
> See you around.
> 
> \- A.

**Author's Note:**

> please leave a comment or hit me up on Twitter (aliaawrites) if you want to say something!  
> You can use #MFADfic in case you want to live-tweet :D


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